Alexandar Georgiev, Avalanche snowed under by Jets' flurry of goals in Game 1 loss

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Colorado Avalanche did not make it to Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs before goaltending became the dominant storyline.

Alexandar Georgiev allowed seven goals on 23 shots, and a fast start by Colorado quickly faded under the weight of an avalanche of goals against in a 7-6 defeat Sunday night at Canada Life Centre.

Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor both scored twice, with all four goals coming after a wild first period, to help the Winnipeg Jets secure Game 1 of this best-of-seven Western Conference opening-round series. Game 2 is here Tuesday night.

The Jets scored on their third shot on goal in the first period, second shot on goal in the second and first time getting one on net in the third. Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen cut Winnipeg’s lead to 6-4 early in the third period, and the Avalanche had the most comeback wins in the NHL during the regular season. The Jets answered on their second shot after Lehkonen’s tally.

Georgiev had allowed four or more goals six times in his final eight appearances in the regular season, but Avs coach Jared Bednar never wavered on who his starter for Game 1 would be.

The other option, backup Justus Annunen, did not dress for Game 1 because of an illness, according to a team official. Arvid Holm, who has zero games of NHL experience, dressed as the backup.

Colorado scored six times on the presumptive Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goaltender this season, and it didn’t matter. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche.

Lowry put the Jets in front with the lone goal of the second period. Brendan Dillon intercepted a pass in the Winnipeg zone and sent it towards the right point. Nino Niederreiter, despite not having a stick, was able to get in Cale Makar’s way enough for the puck to get out.

Lowry picked it up in the neutral zone and had a 2-on-1 develop. Colorado’s Devon Toews took away his passing option, but Lowry slide the puck through Georgiev’s legs along the ice for Winnipeg’s fourth goal in just 10 shots to that point, 8:57 into the middle period.

The second period had plenty of physical play, but looked a little more like what everyone might have expected. It came after a wild, chaotic opening period that featured six goals, including three in 66 seconds.

Lowry made it 5-3 on Winnipeg’s first shot of the third period at 3:31. The puck hit the left post, the right post and then barely rotated its way across the line on the way back. It was ruled no goal during play, but a quick review overturned it.

The Jets got a break on a suspect penalty call, and scored again at 5:51. Kyle Connor scored the first of his two third-period goals on a one-timer from the right circle.

The Avs got off to an extremely fast start, dictating play for most of the opening eight minutes. Colorado had 11 of the first 12 shots on goal, and Valeri Nichushkin solved Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck with No. 11.

The Jets tried to get the puck out of danger and go for a line change, but Josh Manson flipped the ice on them with a quick-up pass to Nichushkin and he blistered a wrist shot past Hellebuyck at 6:10.

Josh Morrissey evened the score at 8:02 on a shot from near the blue line through traffic. It came at the end of Winnipeg’s first real bit of sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

Manson made the first big mistake for the Avs a few minutes later, and Winnipeg quickly took the lead. Alex Iafallo deflected his outlet pass from the corner to the right of Georgiev. It trickled into the slot, right to Vladislav Namestnikov and he buried a shot into the top-right corner at 11:57.

Colorado struck back with goals on back-to-back shifts. Miles Wood scored on the doorstep after Ross Colton created a turnover behind the Winnipeg net. Eighteen seconds later, Nathan MacKinnon collected a pass from Mikko Ranatnen and fooled Hellebuyck with a shot from inside the left circle.

If the Avs had any designs of settling in to playing with a lead, the Jets erased them less than 50 seconds later. Kyle Connor checked Casey Mittelstadt behind the Avalanche net, and then Gabe Villardi slipped a pass through the crease to Mark Scheifele near the right post for a layup at 15:53.

At that point, the Avs had a goal from three different lines, had proven Hellebuyck was mortal and controlled play for much of the period. But the other dressing room had to feel a lot better about a 3-3 score after 20 minutes.

Canada Life Centre was certainly ready for the start of the playoffs. Winnipeg’s famous Whiteout did not disappoint, both inside the arena and the thousands who watched from the party outside. The Avs’ fast start quieted them for a while, but the hectic opening 20 minutes whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

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