Avalanche at Jets
The Winnipeg Jets play four times in six days this week, starting with Monday’s homestand-ending contest with the Colorado Avalanche, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson will get plenty of chances to work his way out of a recent slump. Hutchinson has won just once since starting the season 4-0-0, but with Ondrej Pavelec injured in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Arizona, the 25-year-old Hutchinson figures to get the majority of playing time.
The Jets need Hutchinson to improve on his recent efforts – 12 goals allowed in his past four starts – after Pavelec was run over by Arizona’s Shane Doan and left the arena on crutches, causing the recall of highly-touted goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from Manitoba of the American Hockey League Sunday. “I think he can help us win games,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters of Hellebuyck after Sunday’s practice. The Avalanche won the first three games of a seven-game road swing that ends Monday, but have lost their past three games by a combined 16-7 -- falling 7-3 Saturday at Washington. Goaltending also will be a focus for Colorado as head coach Patrick Roy told reporters after Saturday’s game he plans to start Semyon Varlamov, who has missed the past seven games with a groin injury.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (7-12-1): Center Matt Duchene’s second-period assist Saturday continued his strong November, during which he has points in six straight games to give him 16 (nine goals, seven assists) this month. Reto Berra gave up four first-period goals Saturday before being relieved by Calvin Pickard, who surrendered three goals. Pickard was optioned to San Antonio of the AHL Sunday as Varlamov came off injured reserve for Colorado, which lost for the fifth time in eight games and is tied for last in the NHL with 15 points.
ABOUT THE JETS (10-9-2): Winnipeg has won two in a row after a disastrous six-game winless streak dropped them from the cusp of first place in the Central Division to sixth -- seven points ahead of last-place Colorado. The Jets’ power play is struggling mightily, going 0-for-5 Saturday and scoring on just two of their past 36 opportunities in 10 November games. Hutchinson stopped all seven shots he faced in the third period after coming on for Pavelec.
OVERTIME
1. Varlamov is 3-6-1 this season with a .890 save percentage and is 31-26-9 since going 41-14-6 for Colorado in 2013-14.
2. The 22-year-old Hellebuyck went 2-7-1 in 10 games with Manitoba, recording a 2.41 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.
3. Duchene is one shy of tying Claude Lemieux’s club record for most goals in November (10, 1995).