WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored his fifth goal of the season with one minute left in regulation to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday in Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele sent a pass from near the boards across to Connor charging the net and he fired a shot that beat Mackenzie Blackwood to extend Winnipeg's season-opening point streak to four games.
The Jets improved to 3-0-1 while Colorado fell to 2-1-0. Jaden Schwartz opened the scoring at 2:51 of the second period with a shot from the slot past Stuart Skinner, but Connor answered 70 seconds later by tipping a Neal Pionk point shot to tie it. A Dylan Samberg shot went in off Cole Perfetti's skate at 18:16 of the middle frame for a 2-1 Winnipeg lead, before Fedor Svechkov tied it at 12:35 of the third when Schwartz sent a puck that bounced off the boards across to him in front of the net.
Scheifele registered his first two points of the season with the winner assist and a helper on Perfetti's goal, while Samberg contributed a pair of assists. New linemates Connor and Perfetti have scored eight of Winnipeg's 12 goals this season. Skinner made 32 saves to hold the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners in check after they scored 14 goals in their first two games, including three early stops on Martin Necas and a one-timer during a first-period power play where Colorado had five shots. Blackwood stopped 16 shots for the Avalanche, with Schwartz and Svechkov each finishing with a goal and an assist.
Veteran defenseman Josh Morrissey left with an upper-body injury after grabbing his right hand hitting the glass while trying to check a player into the boards late in the first period. He returned for one shift in the second before being ruled out. Winnipeg went without a shot on goal in two man advantages after entering at 50 percent (4-for-8). Colorado plays the Calgary Flames on Thursday, while Winnipeg hosts the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.