March 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Avalanche (from left), forward Nathan MacKinnon (29), forward Brock Nelson (11), forward Nicolas Roy (10), forward Nazem Kadri (91) and defender Cale Makar (8) celebrate a goal during the first game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Image The Colorado Avalanche continue their cruise to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as they travel to Winnipeg to face the stumbling Jets on Saturday afternoon.
The Avalanche enter the daytime weekend after Nathan MacKinnon’s four-point night that powered Colorado past the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Thursday.
During that game, MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 44th goal of the season, while Nazem Kadri notched his first goal since rejoining the Avalanche in a deadline deal.
Beyond the individual efforts of key players, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he was impressed with his group’s ability to stay off the gas.
“This time of year, every win counts,” Bednar said. “We’re trying to stay on top (of the league). Teams around us are winning. To start off like that and get them feeling good about their games is really important at this time of the year.”
With a 44-11-9 record, Colorado is five points ahead of the Dallas Stars in the NHL and Central Division standings.
Asked if he would need to play all 82 games to claim top spot, goalkeeper Scott Wedgwood said: “I think so.” “You want to keep getting as many points as possible.
“… As a team, you want to play your best hockey and give yourself the maximum advantage. That’s a win. That’s our goal. If we keep going like this, that will be ours.”
The atmosphere is very different in Winnipeg.
The Jets are trying to make a late push for the postseason, but Thursday’s disappointing 6-3 home loss to the New York Rangers made the task more difficult. This leaves Winnipeg six points behind the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The Jets have been desperately trying to find consistency, as it often happens that once a team solves one problem, another appears.
The issue Thursday was defensive zone coverage, which allowed the Rangers to move the puck freely in the Winnipeg zone.
“We gave up nine 5-on-5 scoring opportunities and they scored four goals out of coverage,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “Obviously the tip-ins, the deflections, these things are just purely, purely losing. They were just coverage. Coverage goals that we have to do better. … Find a way. It doesn’t matter. We have to find two points.”
With 18 games remaining on the schedule, Winnipeg is running out of time to find a clear solution.
“We need to be a little sharper,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said. “Have a conversation and find out who we’re covering. … For whatever reason, there’s a lack of discipline in our area in many ways to achieve some of those goals.”
Winnipeg will once again be shorthanded with forwards Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov and defensemen Neal Pionk and Colin Miller still sidelined while they continue to recover from injuries.
Colorado forward Ross Colton, captain Gabriel Landeskog and Arturi Lehkonen are out, and right winger Logan O’Connor could return soon from a hip injury.
–Field level media
