The Jets snuff out the Avalanche

Hellebuyck stops all 35, and the champions go dark

A crown on the line

The Colorado Avalanche came to Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg as Gauntlet royalty. They had shared the Gauntlet in 2023-24, and this season they had already snuffed the Kraken on qualification night. Across the ice stood the Winnipeg Jets, who finished 4th of 32 last season to Colorado's 8th, and who had doused the Blues to get here. The Jets also carried a scar: a year earlier, the Dallas Stars ended their run in this very round. Round of 16. Lose, and your candle comes off the shelf.

One goal at 1:06

Winnipeg struck almost at once. Mark Scheifele fed Gabriel Vilardi, and Vilardi's wrist shot beat Alexandar Georgiev at 1:06 of the first period. Nobody scored again. Georgiev stopped the other 27 Jets shots, but the damage was done before the night had settled.

Hellebuyck shuts the door

Then it was all Connor Hellebuyck. Colorado outshot Winnipeg 35 to 28, and Hellebuyck turned away every one. The Avalanche got a power play when Devon Toews went off for tripping at 15:34 of the second, then got a late lifeline when Josh Morrissey took a holding penalty at 18:50 of the third, 1:10 from the end. Hellebuyck held through it all. The defending holders went cold in Winnipeg, and the Jets burn on, one of 10 flames still lit.