Jets take down avalanche 7-6 in wild game 1
RECAP:
The Winnipeg Jets are off to a rip-roaring start to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beginning things with a hectic 7-6 victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg bent, but it didn't break.
Sure, the Jets were outshot 11-1 to start the game, but despite the onslaught from Nathan MacKinnon's Avalanche, Winnipeg put up three goals of its own in the opening frame, concluding the period at a 3-3 draw.
Incredibly, the third was another six-goal period, with both teams also scoring three times.
The difference was the second period to which captain Adam Lowry got the game's most meaningful goal.
It was a completely back-and-forth affair, with neither team getting too comfortable with its short-lived lead.
Kyle Connor scored twice, Adam Lowry scored twice, while Nino Niederreiter, Josh Morrissey, Brenden Dillon, Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi each had multi-point outings.
Connor Hellebuyck didn't play well, but he managed better than Colorado's backstop Alexander Georgiev. The two allowed a combined 13 goals, but Hellebuyck faced 46 shots to Georgiev's 23.
No, the stat-lines in net were not pretty.
But as the players said post-game, that was something that will be cleaned up going forward in Game 2.
HIGHLIGHTS:
PHOTOS:
The extended photo library from Sunday's game vs. Colorado is courtesy of Scott Stroh:
QUOTABLE:
Colorado head coach Jared Bednar on Alexander Georgiev's performance:
“It probably needed to be better, right? Like I thought we played well, we created some chances. He made some good saves, but we’re gonna need like a couple more saves than that probably to win, you know. But it is what it is. We’ll regroup. We made some mistakes in front of him that we’ll have to clean up and try to get the job done. It’s a team game.”
Jets' head coach Rick Bowness on Adam Lowry's performance:
"Again, he’s been a great leader for the team on and off the ice. He was a great choice for captain. He loves these challenges. He’s going up against one of the best players in the world, not necessarily the league but the world in Nate. So, he loves those challenges and he takes his game to another level. The intensity is always there and it was certainly there tonight and it’s nice to see him get rewarded with a couple of goals, because he worked incredibly hard. When you’re playing against the Mackinnon line you’re going to have to work very, very hard and you’re going to have to be very, very smart and Adam did those things for us tonight."
WHAT’S NEXT:
Game 2 of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will take place on Tuesday in the late night showing, as Winnipeg takes on Colorado at 8:45 in second test of the first round. That game will also be aired live on Sportsnet.
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