To say this might go down as a season-saver isn’t hyperbole for the Winnipeg Jets.
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Jets got a late goal from Cole Perfetti that survived a coach’s challenge for goalie interference and ultimately earned a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Ball Arena.
With the game knotted late in the third period, Gabe Vilardi found Jacob Bryson at the left point and his shot was tipped home by Perfetti in the high slot.
Behind them, Jets centre Jonathan Toews was battling with Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and there was some contact in the blue paint with goalie MacKenzie Blackwood that was ultimately deemed incidental after video review.
“We need to win every game just to keep afloat right now, to try and stay tied and then make up ground,” Vilardi told reporters in Denver after the game. “This is a huge win, coming in to play the best team in the NHL right now. And winning. I’m not undermining that. It’s a good win for us.”
Goalie interference has been a hot topic around the NHL this season and the Jets had three challenges over the course of the past five games – two of which went Winnipeg’s way and one that did not.
“Honestly, I’m standing there and I’m sure (for Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar), it’s the same thing. We’re not sure what the call is going to be because it’s hard to figure out,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel told reporters in Denver. “Every one is a little bit different. The only thing for me on that one is that the goalie’s blocker hit (Toews) after the puck was by him. That’s what we thought, what we were hoping and we had our fingers crossed and it went our way. That was a big call.”
With the win, the Jets pulled within three points of the Nashville Predators in the chase for the second wild card berth in the Western Conference standings.
The Jets, who improved to 31-30-12, continue a four-game road trip on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“It’s just one at a time. I know you guys don’t want to hear it, but we looked at the scoreboard and we got some help around the league,” said Arniel. “That’s what we need, but you’ve got to win to gain ground. We did that. Now all of our focus zeroes in on Chicago. It can’t be one of those ones where you have a great game here and then you take a big step back.”
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, left, collects the puck as defenceman Brent Burns, back left, checks Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (91) in the second period Saturday in Denver.
Let’s take a closer look at what unfolded:
The new mark
Vilardi helped the Jets open the scoring, thanks to a nifty redirection of his own after a point shot by Josh Morrissey, giving him 28 goals for the season (which set a career high).
Vilardi’s emergence as a driver on the second line with Perfetti and captain Adam Lowry (who chipped in an assist) has been a massive development for a Jets team that has been lacking secondary scoring this season.
By assisting on the game-winner, Vilardi moved to 62 points for the season (which is also a career high).
In vintage Vilardi fashion, he dismissed a question about whether splitting the season series with the Avalanche would give his team confidence if the two teams happened to meet down the road in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“Nah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” said Vilardi. “We won a game, we’re still whatever points we are out of it. We’re focused on Chicago. We need to win another game, and then we need to win another game after that. That’s our mindset, we’re not thinking about that at all.”
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Winnipeg Jets centre Cole Perfetti (91) is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period Saturday in Denver.
Koepke delivers
Jets left-winger Cole Koepke gave his team a 2-1 lead just 2:14 into the second period by using his speed to explode through the neutral zone.
After taking a pass from Toews, Koepke cut to the middle and snuck his shot past MacKenzie Blackwood, who was fooled by the change up.
Sportsnet commentator John Garrett referred to it as a Harry Potter goal, because he waved his stick like a magic wand over the puck on the shot.
“I would like to say I did (it intentionally) but I didn’t,” said Koepke. “I didn’t get all of it, but it went in, and that is all that matters to me.”
Koepke got off to a slow start offensively this season, but he’s suddenly up to seven goals for the campaign and providing the type of complementary scoring the Jets were hoping for when they inked him to a one-year deal as an unrestricted free agent last summer.
After scoring 10 times for the Boston Bruins last season, Koepke is showing why he’s a strong candidate for a contract extension.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Winnipeg Jets left wing Alex Iafallo (9) shoots the puck past Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brett Kulak (27) as Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood makes a stop in the second period Saturday in Denver.
His recent offensive surge, coupled with the fact he leads the team in hits, provides speed and is a valued member of the penalty kill means he could command a multi-year deal and a raise from the US $1 million he made this season.
The key play
Perfetti’s late redirection proved to be the game-winner.
The three stars:
Gabe Vilardi, Jets, Scored once, set up the GWG.
Cole Perfetti, Jets, Scored the game-winner.
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, Finished with 21 saves in his 50th start of the season.
The changes
The Jets made three lineup changes, inserting Bryson on the back end for Haydn Fleury and putting in Danny Zhilkin and Parker Ford up front for Morgan Barron (concussion protocol) and Gustav Nyquist (undisclosed).
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, left, checks Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey as he crashes the net in the third period Saturday in Denver.
Bryson was used primarily on the third pairing with Elias Salomonsson and contributed his second assist since being acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres.
Zhilkin took eight shifts for just over five minutes of ice time, but recorded a shot on goal and was 50 per cent in the faceoff dot, while Ford took 12 shifts for nine minutes of ice time and registered one hit.
“The big thing with those kids coming in, they’ve been here,” said Arniel. “I know they didn’t play big minutes (since) we have a couple of days off and I could overload some guys. But at the end of the day, that’s what has to happen at this time of the year, whether it’s injuries or whether it’s guys getting called up to play, you’ve got to be at your best. There’s a role to play and there’s something you have to add to the game, to each and every shift you’re out there. I thought those guys showed well.”
Extra! Extra!
The Jets split the four-game season series with the Avalanche and have handed them two out of their 14 regulation losses so far this season.
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“That was a gutsy team effort,” said Arniel. “That was everybody blocking shots, getting their noses in there, into the battles. That’s a heck of a hockey team over there. We tried to really do a job of taking away the rush game that offensive attack game that they have. There were times where we got stuck in our end, but it was that bend don’t break mentality. But more than anything, I just, I thought that everybody found a way to play a little part in it.”
Winnipeg held Nathan MacKinnon without a point and limited him to three shots on goal and six shot attempts after he scored twice on Thursday and had seven shots and 10 shot attempts.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele (55) congratulates goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) after defeating the Colorado Avalanche Saturday in Denver.
The Jets healthy scratches were defencemen Hadyn Fleury and Ville Heinola.
Avalanche D-man Cale Makar recorded the 500th assist of his NHL career in his 467th game on the first period redirection by Brock Nelson. Parker Kelly rounded out the scoring for the Avalanche.
winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
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