GAMEDAY: Avalanche at Jets

WINNIPEG - The Jets are looking to get back in the win column with a Saturday afternoon contest against the Colorado Avalanche. Winnipeg enters the matchup coming off two consecutive regulation losses for the first time since Jan. 1 and 3, after falling to the New York Rangers 6-3 on Thursday night.

The Jets enter Saturday seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final wild card spot in the West and will face an Avalanche team that is first overall in the standings.

They have had a fantastic season, and we have got them three times in the next couple of weeks and it is going to take like the Tampa Bay game where we had everybody dialed in and we did a really good job with our five man units against everybody that jumped over the boards,” said head coach Scott Arniel.

“We have to be on point (today), doing that against a Colorado team that has made some additions and has some of the elite players in the league on their team.”

One of the elite players Arniel is talking about is Nate MacKinnon, who leads the league in goals with 44 and is three points back of Connor McDavid for the scoring lead. Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey knows MacKinnon well after playing with him recently at the Olympics and 4 Nations Face-Off and going up against him multiple times as a Jet.

“I’ve known Nate for a long time. We played some spring tournaments when we were younger and then, some Hockey Canada stuff growing up. He’s always been so explosive and so dynamic,” said Morrissey.

“But what really stands out, spending more time with him the last few years is his commitment to the game and how professional he is. On and off the ice. He’s always trying to search and find ways to get better, work on his game, work off the ice with his nutrition, fitness, all of those things. It’s no surprise and it’s not a fluke that he’s the player he is and has continued to get better.”

Despite Colorado taking the contest earlier this season, Connor Hellebuyck has gotten the better of MacKinnon recently in the matchup, winning six of his last seven starts against Colorado with MacKinnon scoring only two goals in those games. In his last nine matchups against the Avalanche, Hellebuyck has posted a 7-2-0 record with four shutouts. Hellebuyck’s five career shutouts against Colorado is the most of any opposing team in the NHL.

Make sure to watch the Jets pregame show “The Check In” at 11:00 CT with Sara and Jamie.

Winnipeg will have to improve their defensive zone coverage from Thursday’s contest with the Rangers. The Jets didn’t give up a lot of shots, but they gave up nine five-on-five scoring chances and four goals came off coverage issues.

“Obviously, it’s sort outs and it’s the structure but the faster you can defend and get it going the other way, it allows us to play offence,” said Morrissey.

“It’s hard to make a rush the other way when you’ve been in your own end for 30 or 45 seconds. The faster we can defend and close plays as a group of five and get going the other way is kind of how you prevent those coverage goals.”

The Jets have posted an 6-4-0 record in the last 10 games against the Avalanche and a 3-2-0 record in the last five. The Jets have won five of the last six matchups against Colorado at Canada Life Centre.

Puck drop is scheduled for 3 CT.