Connor’s late goal lifts Winnipeg Jets to 3-2 win over Avalanche

If you score three goals in an NHL game, chances are you will win a lot of those games.

For the fourth straight game to start the 2026-27 season, the Winnipeg Jets hit that magic mark with just a minute to go in a dramatic 3-2 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche Wednesday night.

The game got off to a fairly even start with each side registering four shots on goal over the first seven minutes.

But over the final 13 minutes of the opening frame, Colorado outshot the Jets 13-2, thanks in part to a dangerous power play that came close to opening the scoring.

Skinner stood tall, stopping all five shots on that power play, including a stellar cross-crease save on Martin Necas.

Winnipeg got a power play look late in the period, generating one shot but they too were unable to break the deadlock.

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Skinner further endeared himself to Jets fans early in the second when, after giving up a big rebound, he made a sprawling save to deny Necas again.

But it wasn’t too long after that save that Colorado opened the scoring. Fedor Svechkov had the puck along the boards with Dylan Samberg pressuring him. Svechkov then harmlessly sent the puck to the slot where it hit Viggo Bjorck and skittered into the high slot where Dylan DeMelo overskated it. That allowed Jaden Schwartz the time and space to rip a snapshot top shelf at the 2:51 mark.

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Just over a minute later, the Jets answered back when Kyle Connor tipped a Neal Pionk point shot through Mackenzie Blackwood for his fourth of the season.

Colorado nearly regained the lead seconds later as Nathan MacKinnon got free on a two-on-one and ripped a shot off the post.

The Jets were having a tough time slowing down the Avalanche attack, and to make matters worse, Josh Morrissey left the game early with what appeared to be a hand injury. He went into the boards awkwardly in the first and was seen shaking his hand without his glove on, then played one shift at the start of the second before leaving for good.

But Skinner continued to hold down the fort, allowing Winnipeg to take the lead in the waning minutes of the period.

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Mark Scheifele collected the puck behind Colorado’s net and carried it around to his right before sliding it back to the point to Samberg. He let a shot fly that glanced off the stick of Brock Nelson in front before banking off one of Cole Perfetti’s shin pads and into the net for his third of the season.

With the secondary assist, Scheifele earned his first point of the season.

Winnipeg wound up outshooting the Avalanche 11-10 in the second, including 7-2 over the final 11 minutes.

The Jets continued to do a good job suppressing the Colorado attack as the third period rolled along, leading to Winnipeg’s second power play of the night with 11:41 to go, though they didn’t do anything with it.

Two goals didn’t feel like it would be enough to get the job done, and that became even more clear when Colorado tied the game with 7:25 remaining.

The initial shot from Brett Kulak at the left point missed the net and bounced off the end boards right to the stick of Schwartz, who passed it in front to Svechkov for a tap-in as the Jets defenders chased the play.

It looked like the game was destined for overtime but with a minute left, Winnipeg’s top line got the job done once more.

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Scheifele carried the puck across the blue line and drove along the wall before sending a pass to the slot to Connor, who wired it past Blackwood for his second of the night. It was one of just two shots for the Jets in the third period.

Colorado didn’t have much time to get something set up with the goalie pulled and they failed to get a shot on goal before the final horn sounded.

Skinner finished with 32 saves in the win while Blackwood turned aside 16 in defeat.

Winnipeg is now 3-0-1 on the season and will look to keep their season-opening point streak going Friday night at home against Anaheim.