Jets at Avalanche
The Winnipeg Jets have won three in a row since the holiday break entering Tuesday’s road game against Colorado Avalanche, and Connor Hellebuyck’s play in goal is a big reason why his team is among the leaders in the Western Conference. Hellebuyck was named NHL first star of the week Monday after winning his third consecutive start in Sunday’s 5-0 victory over Edmonton, finishing the seven-day period with a .952 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average.
“I thought we were pretty darn consistent right through,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters after Sunday’s victory, in which five different Winnipeg players scored and Hellebuyck made 35 saves. The Avalanche are 7-3-1 in their past 11 games after Sunday’s 6-1 victory over the New York Islanders, breaking open the game with four second-period goals. Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored twice in a two-minute span during the middle-period outburst, and Nathan MacKinnon finished with three assists. “We know there’s a lot of work to do still, but the first three months have been fun,” Landeskog told the media afterward. “I still think we have another couple of gears.”
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Altitude TV (Denver)
ABOUT THE JETS (23-11-6): Forward Kyle Connor scored in his third consecutive game Sunday and has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past four contests. Hellebuyck is 21-4-5 on the season and ranks third in the NHL in wins while sitting in the top 10 in both goals against average (2.37) and save percentage (.923). Center Blake Wheeler has four points in his past three games with goals in two straight contests.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (19-16-3): Colorado has killed off 33 consecutive power plays and ranks third in the NHL in penalty kill percentage (84 percent). MacKinnon is tied for fifth in the league in points (46) and has five goals and eight assists in his past eight games. Center Carl Soderberg scored for the seventh time this season Sunday, and has three goals and two assists in his past four contests.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado F J.T. Compher will miss the next two weeks with an upper-body injury suffered in Friday’s victory over Toronto.
2. Hellebuyck recorded his third shutout of the season Sunday.
3. Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov has a .922 save percentage with 12 goals allowed in his past five games.