COLORADO AVALANCHE (18-9-2) AT WINNIPEG JETS (17-9-2)
5:00 PM MDT | CANADA LIFE CENTRE | WATCH: Altitude 2 | LISTEN: 950 AM
The Colorado Avalanche take on the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre for the second of three matchups between the two teams during the regular season. The Avalanche-Jets tilt can be watched on Altitude 2, with puck drop scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MDT.
Latest Results:
December 13, 2023 | COL: 5, BUF: 1
December 13, 2023 | WPG: 5, LAK: 2
HISTORY
Colorado owns a 28-21-1-6 all-time record against the second iteration of the Winnipeg Jets franchise, with an 11-14-1-2 mark at home. This season the Avalanche are 0-1-0 against the Jets. The last time Winnipeg was in town, the Jets continued the team’s three-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory over the Avalanche on Dec. 7.
Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor - who will miss tonight’s game due to injury - notched two goals, while Josh Morrissey tallied a goal and an assist. Connor and Morrissey were the only two Jets to have a multi-point appearance in the first matchup between the Avs-Jets this season. Netminder Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves out of the 34 shots he faced in net at Ball Arena.
For the Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon accumulated two points (1g/1a) while Joel Kiviranta scored his second goal of the campaign, which was the 18th of his career.
Nathan MacKinnon paces active Avalanche skaters against the Jets with 36 career points (15g/21a) in 37 games. On the man-advantage, he’s notched three goals and eight assists. MacKinnon has accumulated 13 of those points (4g/9a) on the road.
MALINSKI’S MAGICAL MOMENT
Sam Malinski recorded his first career NHL goal on Dec. 13 versus Buffalo at Ball Arena. The defenseman also had his first multi-point appearance by adding an assist on Miles Wood’s goal. In Malinski’s last four games, he has collected four points (1g/3a).
MACKINNON MCSCORIN’
For the 13th consecutive game, Nathan MacKinnon found the scoresheet on Dec. 13 versus Buffalo, this time with two assists. His point streak of 21 (6g/15a) is tied for the third-longest of his career. He also has found the scoresheet in all 15 home games this season.
FLYING HIGH AGAIN
Mark Scheifele leads all active Jets skaters with 36 career points (12g/24a) against the Avalanche in 33 games. The centerman has tallied 10 points (3g/7a) on the man advantage. 23 of Scheifele’s points (7g/16a) have been accumulated in Winnipeg versus Colorado.
Mark Scheifele paces all Jets skaters with 31 points (11g/20a) in 28 games during the campaign. Kyle Connor is trailing Scheifele with 28 points in 26 games (17g/11a) and Josh Morrissey with 24 points (5g/19a) in 28 games.
Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev are tied for second in the league in wins with 14 wins this season, trailing the leader Thatcher Demko by only one (15). Hellebuyck enters tonight tied for eighth with a 2.42 goals against average.
The Jets have won five of the team’s last six contests.
NUMBERS GAME
800
Nathan MacKinnon accumulated his 800th career point with his second assist in the game on Dec. 13 versus Buffalo. MacKinnon became the fifth-fastest active player to record 800-plus points (738 GP), with the only faster players being Connor McDavid (545 GP), Sidney Crosby (571 GP), Alex Ovechkin (658 GP), and Evgeni Malkin (680). In Avalanche/ Nordiques history, the only other players to reach 800-plus points are Joe Sakic (1,641), Peter Stastny (1,048), Michel Goulet (946) and Milian Hejduk (805).
150
Wednesday marked Mikko Rantanen’s 150th career multi-point game. He’s one of eight players to put up those numbers with the franchise.
100
Valeri Nichushkin buried his 100th career goal off a feed from MacKinnon on Wednesday night. The tally was his second of the contest.
QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK
“I saw it go low to high up to Jack (Colorado D Jack Johnson) and I think he saw me wide, but he was kind of trying to show a little deception and slid it over at the perfect time and I just kind of tried to throw it at the net to be honest.”
- Colorado Defenseman Sam Malinski on the game at Ball Arena versus Buffalo on Dec. 13
