Jets score 7, hold off Avalanche in Game 1 of West 1st Round

Cale Makar had a aim and two assists, and Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen every had a aim and an help for the Avalanche, who’re the No. 3 seed from the Central. Alexandar Georgiev made 16 saves.

“[Georgiev’s game] in all probability wanted to be higher, proper?” Colorado coach Jared Bednar mentioned. “I believed we performed properly, we created some possibilities. He made some good saves, however we’re [going to] want like a pair extra saves than that in all probability to win, you realize? However it’s what it’s. We’ll regroup. We made some errors in entrance of him that we’ll have to scrub up and attempt to get the job performed. It’s a staff sport.”

Recreation 2 might be in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Valeri Nichushkin gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 6:10 of the primary interval, carrying the puck into the offensive zone and beating Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from simply above the precise face-off dot.

“You are not tagging any of these objectives on [Hellebuyck],” Bowness mentioned. “A few of them had seeing eyes, a few of them had been bouncing all over, a few of them had been simply useless giveaways on our half. You are not hanging any of these on him. It might have been worse. Severely. We do not surrender that many possibilities. We do not surrender that many photographs. And Connor needed to play higher and he made a number of huge saves on the proper time, which he at all times does. I am not hanging any of these objectives on him.”

Morrissey tied it 1-1 at 8:02. The Jets cycled the puck alongside the blue line earlier than Morrissey floated a wrist shot via visitors that beat Georgiev glove aspect.

“That’s what playoffs is. Each groups received to push one another and each groups pushing to the brink and make groups play alternative ways,” Makar mentioned. “Sadly, all of the errors that we made ended up behind our web. That’s simply the best way she goes generally. A pair issues to scrub up after which flip the web page.”

Vladislav Namestnikov put Winnipeg in entrance 2-1 at 11:57. Josh Manson tried to clear the puck alongside the tip boards, however Alex Iafallo deflected it to Namestnikov for a one-timer in entrance.

“That’s why you wish to play the sport, you wish to play in opposition to the very best and showcase on the highest stage,” Connor mentioned. “Each one in all us — we’ve got a extremely deep staff — to form of contribute like that, it’s a part of the enjoyable.”

The Avalanche then scored two objectives in a span of 18 seconds. Miles Wooden tied it 2-2 at 14:47 with a one-timer within the slot earlier than MacKinnon made it 3-2 with a wrist shot from the left circle at 15:05.

“I believed our begin was nice tonight,” Bednar mentioned. “We have not performed the Jets properly this 12 months. We performed a superb sport early within the season, however that is our first style of us taking part in arduous and them taking part in arduous and seeing what is going on to occur. And it is a seven-game collection. I do not assume an entire lot modified for us from begin to end. I believed our guys performed as arduous as they probably might and as clear as they probably might.”

Scheifele tied it 3-3 simply 48 seconds later. Gabriel Vilardi took the puck from behind the online and slid it throughout the crease to Scheifele for a faucet in on the proper publish at 15:53.

“It was a number of feelings,” Georgiev mentioned. “Couple nice possibilities for them, couple nice possibilities for us. It was form of a high-event sport. Being tied up after the primary was a reasonably good place for us.”

Lowry made it 4-3 at 8:57 of the second interval, retaining the puck on a 2-on-1 rush and capturing between Georgiev’s pads.

“[Lowry] has been an awesome chief for the staff on and off the ice,” Bowness mentioned. “He was an awesome selection for captain. He loves these challenges. He’s going up in opposition to probably the greatest gamers on this planet, not essentially the League however the world in Nate [MacKinnon]. So, he loves these challenges and he takes his sport to a different degree. The depth is at all times there and it was actually there tonight and it’s good to see him get rewarded with a few objectives, as a result of he labored extremely arduous. If you’re taking part in in opposition to the Mackinnon line, you’re going to need to work very, very arduous and also you’re going to need to be very, very good, and Adam did these issues for us tonight.”