Colorado @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2019 ) Colorado 4, Winnipeg 7

The Winnipeg Jets appear to have shaken off a rare three-game losing streak last week, and enter Thursday’s home contest against the Colorado Avalanche after displaying their depth in Tuesday’s victory over the New York Rangers. Early in the game it was center Mark Scheifele scoring twice, giving him 30 goals for the second time in his career, and in the decisive third period the Jets fourth line came through as Andrew Copp netted the game winner with 12:39 to play.

“That can kind of grind down a team over the course of 60 minutes,” Copp told reporters after scoring for the second consecutive game and recording a point in five of his past seven contests, as the Jets moved into a first-place tie with San Jose in the Western Conference. “We kind of reset after two (periods) and said, ‘we’re tied at home, we have to win these games.’” The Avalanche are looking to win any type of game, having dropped eight in a row to fall under .500 after Tuesday’s 5-2 home loss to Toronto - an 0-5-3 slide that pushed Colorado four points out of the final wild card spot in the West entering Wednesday. The Avalanche, who are 28th in the NHL in penalty kill (76 percent), gave up three power-play goals in a 1:49 span early in the second period. “I thought we played a good game 5-on-5, but we’ve got to stay out of the box,” Avalanche rookie defenseman Ryan Graves, who scored a goal for Colorado, told the media afterward.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (22-23-11): Graves scored his third goal in just his 12th game with Colorado this season and finished with three blocked shots along with three hits in 14:14 of ice time. It’s been far too little offense and far too many defensive breakdowns for the Avalanche during their longest winless streak in two years, being outscored 35-16 during the skid. Forward Mikko Rantanen is fifth in the league with 75 points, one ahead of center Nathan MacKinnon, but the two have combined for six points (three goals) during the losing streak.

ABOUT THE JETS (36-18-3): Scheifele has four goals and two assists in his past four games, and his team-leading goal total ranks tied for 10th in the league through Tuesday. After allowing 13 goals during the three-game stumble last week, Winnipeg has surrendered just four in winning back-to-back games, as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 69-of-73 shots in moving to 26 wins on the season - tied for third in the league. Forward Patrik Laine’s goal drought has reached 12 games, and he has scored just once in 19 games dating back to Dec. 31.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado F Alexander Kerfoot and D Samuel Girard each finished with two points Tuesday.

2. The Jets entered Wednesday tied with Boston for second in the NHL with 21 home victories, one behind league-leader Tampa Bay.

3. Winnipeg has scored 12 goals in winning the first two games of the season series against the Avalanche, including a 7-4 triumph at home on Jan. 8.

PREDICTION: Jets 6, Avalanche 3