Winnipeg @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 20, 2019 ) Winnipeg 1, Colorado 7

The Colorado Avalanche have sprinted into the final Western Conference wild card spot with a 7-0-2 stretch, and they host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday in a game critical to both team’s postseason plans. The Avalanche earned two big points in Tuesday’s 6-2 home victory over Edmonton and sit four points ahead of Arizona for the last West playoff spot, while the Jets fell into a first-place tie with Nashville in the Central Division after Tuesday’s 5-1 defeat at Minnesota.

Center Nathan MacKinnon delivered for the Avalanche when they need it most Tuesday, scoring his 40th goal of the season to kick off a rally from a 2-0 deficit and becoming the first Colorado player to reach 40 since 2002-03. “We’ve still got two more games to win,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the Avalanche improved to 10-2-1 in their past 13 home games. Winnipeg looked like a lock for the division title before going 1-4-0 in its past five games, and a 3-0 first-period deficit Tuesday was too much to overcome. “Our team needs to show a little bit of resiliency, a little bit of maturity,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler told the media afterward. “Regardless of what happens in these last two games, we have to have a game that we can identify with going into the playoffs.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE JETS (46-30-4): Winnipeg could not sustain momentum from Monday’s overtime victory at Chicago, as rookie goaltender Eric Comrie started Tuesday and made 23 saves in his first NHL outing this season. Defenseman Jacob Trouba netted the Jets lone goal Tuesday, giving him nine points in his past nine games and at least one point in seven of those contests. Wheeler assisted on the goal, his 70th helper of the season setting a new franchise record.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (37-29-14): MacKinnon’s goal gives him a career high-tying 97 points and marks the 400th point of his NHL career. Center Alexander Kerfoot scored twice Tuesday, giving him eight points (four goals) during a career-best six-game point streak. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov, making his first appearance since March 15, stopped 27-of-29 shots to earn his 20th win for the sixth time in his career.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg F Brandon Tanev did not return after suffering an upper-body injury in the first period.

2. Bednar told the media after Tuesday’s game that Avalanche F Mikko Rantanen, sidelined since March 21 with an upper-body injury, may miss the final two regular-season games.

3. The Avalanche have won the past two meetings with the Jets to even the season series at two games apiece, including a 7-1 rout of Winnipeg at home on Feb. 20.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Jets 3