The Winnipeg Jets are in danger of a repeat performance when they host the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Just as they did last season against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Jets won their playoff opener against the Avalanche but have dropped three straight to put them in a 3-1 hole in the best-of-seven series.
Winnipeg couldn’t extend the series beyond Game 5 last season against Vegas, and the Golden Knights went on to win the Stanley Cup.
“Completely different teams on both sides of the coin,” Jets forward Mark Scheifele said. “We had a good regular season against (the Avalanche) and they made adjustments and we haven’t. We’ve got to bring a different game come Tuesday. We’ve got to fix some things. We’ve got to change some things up.”
Winnipeg had won nine in a row before losing Game 2 on April 23.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was second in the NHL during the regular season with a .921 save percentage and fourth with a 2.39 goals-against average, but he has given up 19 goals in the first four games of the series for an .870 save percentage and a 5.22 GAA.
“I don’t think those goals are his fault,” Scheifele said. “He’s our backbone. He’s our heart and soul.”
Hellebuyck was replaced by Laurent Brossoit at the start of the third period of Game 4, but Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said that was simply to give him a break.
“There’s just too much time having to make save after save,” Bowness said of Hellebuyck, who was named a Vezina Trophy finalist on Monday. “It’s not on him whatsoever. It’s on the players in front of him.”
Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev allowed seven goals in the Game 1 loss but has rebounded to limit the Jets to five goals in the past three games.
Avalanche forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen also continue to sizzle.
Nichushkin had a hat trick in the 5-1 win in Game 4 to give him six goals in the series.
Lehkonen has also scored in all four games, totaling four goals and three assists.
“If you really watch and dissect video and look at how many plays Lehky makes on any given night on the offensive side, on the defensive side, he doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit for what he does for our team,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “This guy’s a relentless worker, this guy’s a warrior.”
Colorado played without third-line center Joel Kiviranta (lower-body injury) in Game 4. He is day-to-day.
Despite not practicing with the Avalanche, right winger Nikolai Kovalenko made his NHL debut in place of Kiviranta and the 24-year-old contributed four hits in 7:17 of ice time.
“He’s not scared of the moment,” Bednar said.
Winnipeg forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who sustained a fractured cheekbone when he was hit by a deflected shot from teammate Nate Schmidt in Game 4, hasn’t been ruled out for Game 5. Bowness told reporters on Monday that Namestikov was feeling better.
The Jets were already without top defenseman Brenden Dillon, who sustained a left hand injury during a scrum that followed the 6-2 loss in Game 3 on Friday. Bowness said on Monday that Dillon won’t play in Game 5.
–Field Level Media