WINNIPEG 鈥� Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey both spoke in quiet voices about missed opportunities after the Winnipeg Jets were knocked out of the opening round of the NHL playoffs Tuesday for a second straight season.
Mikko Rantanen鈥檚 first two goals of the NHL playoffs propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Jets that clinched their Western Conference best-of-seven series in five games.
鈥淒isappointing, disappointing way to end the year,鈥� said Lowry, who became Winnipeg鈥檚 captain this season. 鈥淚 think everyone in this room is upset with our level of play in the series.鈥�
The Jets became the first Canadian team eliminated from the playoffs after they lost the final four games of the series, duplicating their exit in last season鈥檚 opening round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
It was the first time Colorado and Winnipeg met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Jets had finished the regular season in second place in the Central Division, three points up on the Avalanche. Winnipeg had swept their season series 3-0.
鈥淵ou work all year to give yourself an opportunity,鈥� said Morrissey, who scored one of Winnipeg鈥檚 goals. 鈥淲e had a great regular season. Out in five, it鈥檚 pretty disappointing.鈥�
Jets players stayed on the ice after handshakes and saluted their whiteout crowd at Canada Life Centre with raised sticks.
Kyle Connor and Tyler Toffoli also scored for Winnipeg. Vezina Trophy nominee Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced for Winnipeg.
鈥淚n the (last) two years, that鈥檚 by far the best playoff game we鈥檝e played,鈥� Jets coach Rick Bowness said. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 go our way tonight.
鈥淐ouple goals went in off of us. We had some chances that we didn鈥檛 score (on). Where was that in the first four games? That鈥檚 a question we鈥檙e going to have to answer ourselves over the course of the summer.鈥�
Rantanen, who also picked up an assist, scored twice in a span of just under four minutes early in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie.
Valeri Nichushkin, Yakov Trenin, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews each picked up a pair of assists.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the best hockey we鈥檝e played for five games in a row all season long, and that鈥檚 what it takes this time of year and that鈥檚 partly our experience, I think,鈥� Colorado coach Jared Bednar said.
Alexandar Georgiev made 34 saves for the 2022 Stanley Cup champions, who play the winner of the Dallas Stars and Golden Knights series in the second round.
鈥淚 thought the first couple periods we were maybe a little bit too cautious,鈥� Georgiev said. 鈥淏ut in the third, we knew they would try to open it up (and) we scored a big goal, the fourth one, and kept playing smart. Very, very solid effort.鈥�
The game was tied 1-1 after a fast-paced first period. Colorado led 3-2 heading into the third.
Connor鈥檚 first goal of the game had unofficial assists by the Avalanche.
After the Jets winger shot the puck at Georgiev, Manson tried to clear it out of the crease, but it bounced off Lehkonen and into the net at 1:15.
The Avalanche didn鈥檛 feel bad for too long.
Toews sent a pass across the slot to Nichushkin, who fired a one-timer past Hellebuyck for his team-high seventh goal of the series at 3:18.
The visitors outshot the Jets 13-7 in the opening period.
Trenin recorded his first goal and point of the series when his shot hit the post and he got the puck and flipped it into the net at 5:42 to go ahead 2-1.
Winnipeg went on its first power play a minute later and cashed in on Morrissey鈥檚 one-timer from the point that blew by Georgiev 14 seconds into the man advantage.
Lehkonen made it 3-2, but this time it was Jets defenceman Neal Pionk who unofficially tallied the marker after the puck hit his stick and went in with 6:15 left in the middle period.
The period ended with the Jets ahead on shots 26-24.
Toffoli tied it 3-3 at 2:06, but Rantanen recorded his first goal at 4:11 and added his second marker at 8:01.
Manson shot into the empty net with two seconds left in the third.
DUBIOUS MARK聽
The Jets are the first team in NHL history to allow five or more goals in each of their first five games to begin a post-season, according to Sportsnet stats.
The Avalanche outscored the Jets 28-15 during the series, including four empty-netters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
