Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets

Gabriel Vilardi scores twice, steers Jets to 6-2 win over Avalanche

“Definitely, you think about it all the time,” said Iafallo, who also had an assist that halted a 13-game pointless skid. “Obviously you want to chip in offensively, but sometimes you’ve just got to stick with it and try to play the right way and good things will happen. That’s kind of what I was going through the last few weeks, just trying to help as much as I can.”

Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and assist, Nino Niederreiter scored and Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele both recorded a pair of helpers.

The Jets, who have won six of seven, also set a franchise record by holding opponents to two or less goals in seven consecutive games.

Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for Winnipeg, which started a four-game homestand.

Jonathan Drouin and Jack Johnson scored for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon picked up a pair of assists to extend his point streak to 14 games. He has six goals and 17 helpers in that span.

Ivan Prosvetov stopped 19 shots in his 10th game of the season for Colorado.

“It’s hard to say that you love a goalie’s performance when you lose 6-2, but he made a ton of big saves,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.

The Jets led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 following the second.

Vilardi scored at 13:56 of the opening period after a quick pass across the front of the net from Scheifele.

“Big strong guy that’s hard to play against, but it’s his patience with the puck and his skill level is really, really underrated,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said of Vilardi.

Colorado went on the power play early in the third and Drouin used a rebound off the end boards and directed the puck into the side of the net at 2:07.

Vilardi notched his second of the game a minute-and-a-half after Drouin’s marker and Niederreiter scored his eighth of the season at 8:48.

“We had some momentum in the second, one bad break cost us, and they were just able to capitalize on the two chances they had in the third,” Prosvetov said.

Colorado’s Cale Makar was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Bednar said he’ll be day to day.

MacKinnon played his 739th game with the Avalanche, tying him for fifth place for most games in franchise history with long-term injured teammate Gabriel Landeskog.

Winnipeg is without sniper Kyle Connor (knee) for six to eight weeks.

“You’re not going to replace KC,” Namestnikov said. “It’s gotta be a team effort and everybody has to step their game up. I thought today was a complete team effort.”

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Host San Jose on Sunday night.

Jets: Host Montreal on Monday night in the second of a four-game homestand.

WPG leads series 2-0