Nathan MacKinnon is in a tight race for the Hart Trophy (MVP), but the Colorado Avalanche center likely added another bullet point to his strong résumé on Wednesday night.

DENVER — Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started the winning play when he sent the puck to Vladislav Namestnikov, who fed Pionk skating down the right side. Pionk’s slap shot beat Mackenzie Blackwood to end Winnipeg’s two-game skid.

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime without their captain Adam Lowry. View the original article to see embedded media. HC Scott Arniel criticized himself and his players for their lacklustre effort against Utah HC on Monday.

With the Western Conference’s best team in town, Wednesday presented a test for the streaky Avalanche. Colorado flunked.

Adam Lowry is Winnipeg's de facto No. 2 centre, making his extended absence a troubling item for the top team in the West.

The Winnipeg Jets lead the NHL power rankings for the first time since November, but it's tight at the top. Plus, the blockbuster Rantanen trade has another big winner.

In 62 previous regular-season matchups against the Jets, the Avalanche are 29-26-7. This season, the home teams are undefeated, with the Jets winning in Winnipeg on November 7 and January 11 while the Avs won in Denver on December 31.

Wednesday in the NHL features an enticing Central Division matchup, with the Winnipeg Jets heading to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day!

Never a huge goal-scorer, Granlund is on pace to hit 20 for the third time in his 13-year career and the first since 2017-18 with Minnesota. But the 32-year-old has been a point producer with the Sharks. He’s leading the team with 44 points in 51 contests after a scoring a team-high 60 points in 69 games last season.

Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the NHL. Here's how he maximizes his tools and sets himself apart from the rest of the league.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is now less than two weeks away. It begins Feb. 12 at Bell Centre in Montreal. Most NHL teams have six, seven or eight games remaining before the League breaks for the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the World Cup of Hockey 2016.