Happy New Year--Not!: Jets fade in third, lose to Avs

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Published Dec 31, 2024  •  Last updated 44 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

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Both teams were on a roll, winners of four straight and owners of nearly identical nine-win records in December.

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But one was rested and at home, the other playing on a second straight day after late-night travel.

That hasn’t been a good scenario for the Winnipeg Jets this season and it wasn’t in Denver on New Year’s Eve, the Avalanche popping the cork on a 5-2 win.

Four times the Jets have played on consecutive days, and four times they’ve lost.

Shots were 13-5, Colorado, in the third period, suggesting the visitors were low on fuel, although one of the Jets’ goal scorers was having none of that.

“The schedule is what it is,” Rasmus Kupari told CJOB radio. “It’s the same for everyone… so that can’t be an excuse for us. We still played better than in the past back-to-backs this year. It’s just an unfortunate loss and we can learn from this.”

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“We knew we were going to be in for one against a well-rested team,” head coach Scott Arniel added. “But we’ve never used that excuse. There were some momentum swings. But I liked the way we battled back. Every time we got down one we came back.”

Three different times Colorado grabbed the lead and the last one stuck: Casey Mittelstadt breaking a 2-2 tie about eight minutes into the third, ruining yet another fine performance from Jets backup goalie Eric Comrie.

Empty-net goals from Mikko Rantanen and Ross Colton sealed the deal.

Comrie has now taken the loss in his last six starts.

“That’s the tough part is he’s played so well for us and we haven’t got him the win,” Arniel said. “We’ve just got to find a way to get one for him. He just continues to give us a chance.”

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Defenceman Neal Pionk echoed those sentiments.

“Wish like hell we could get him a win one of these times because he’s playing great,” Pionk said. “And one of the hardest working guys, he deserves a win.”

The loss drops Winnipeg to 27-11-1, while the Avalanche improve to 23-15, the four-point swing pulling them to within nine points of the first-place Jets in the Central Division.

The Jets will face them twice more, including another back-to-back situation, this time at home, in 11 days.

“We did some good things, sloppy at times, gave the top line a lot of chances,” Pionk said. “But overall, a decent game. Sure, it’s hard. We’re all pros. We’ve been through it before. And we get some teams at home that go through that travel, so can’t use that as an excuse.”

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Jets winger Morgan Barron wasn’t the least bit happy with the final 20 minutes.

“It just feels like a bit of a wasted effort, to be in that game in the third, regardless of the shots,” he said. “Our goalie, Coms, has been putting in great efforts for us and we haven’t been able to dig in for those last 20 minutes. It’s a 20-minute period and we had a chance to win a game. It’s unfortunate that we’ve wasted his efforts and haven’t been able to get a few wins for him.”

The home side had the bulk of the play in the first period and got on the board first, Artturi Lehkonen tipping a point shot past Comrie some 12 minutes into the game.

“That’s what they do. They throw stuff in from the blue line,” Pionk said. “They have good sticks in front, two big bodies, and they beat us on that a couple times.”

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Winnipeg killed off the only penalty of the game in that opening period, with shots 14-10 for Colorado.

The Avs were a perfect 9-0 when leading after one, so the Jets had a challenge on their hands.

It took until midway through the second for them to beat Mackenzie Blackwood, and it didn’t come from one of the usual suspects.

Kupari, set up by fellow fourth-liner Morgan Barron, ended a 20-game drought with his third goal of the year.

“Our guys were changing and I just hopped on the ice,” Kupari said. “Bears made a nice play, quick feet and a nice pass to the back door and I had an easy job to just tap it in.”

“I heard him yelling,” Barron said. “It was good for him to finish that one.”

The Avs regained the lead when defenceman Devon Toews whiffed on a shot, fooling and opening up Comrie, then sliding the puck between his legs.

Not two minutes later Gabe Vilardi got that one back, flipping a loose puck over Blackwood for No. 18 of the season.

Shots were 24-17, Avs, through two, 38-22 overall.

“We’ll reset, go home and get on a streak,” Barron said.

The Jets play their next eight at home, beginning Thursday against Anaheim.

paul.friesen@kleinmedia.caX: @friesensunmedia

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