Jets 3, Avalanche 2: Connor Wins It With a Minute Left

October 7, 2026 - Winnipeg - One minute left. Mark Scheifele had the puck near the boards. Kyle Connor was already moving. The pass went through traffic. Catch, release, hashmarks, and Canada Life Centre had a 3-2 lead it would not give back.

The Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Winnipeg is 3-0-1, points in four straight to open the season, three wins in a row. Colorado is 2-1-0, first loss after an 8-4 over Los Angeles and a 6-1 over St. Louis. Shots were 34-19 Colorado. Attendance was 14,006.

Connor scored twice. Cole Perfetti had the other Winnipeg goal. Stuart Skinner stopped 32 of 34. Jaden Schwartz and Fedor Svechkov each had a goal and an assist. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 16 of 19.

Connor, to NHL.com: "We just stuck with it. Skinner kept us in it when we weren't at our best. He made some incredible saves and was such a calming presence for us."

Scoreless, then 1-1 in 70 seconds

The first period had no goals. Dylan Samberg took hooking. Svechkov put one over the glass. Neither power play scored.

Schwartz opened it at 2:51 of the second, a snap after a mishandled puck in the offensive zone, assists from Svechkov and Brent Burns. The NHL recap called it a lucky break. Schwartz told NHL.com they had looks, Skinner made saves, and it was a tight checking game.

Connor tied it 70 seconds later. Neal Pionk from the point. Connor in front of Blackwood. Waist-high tip at 4:01. 1-1.

Perfetti made it 2-1 at 18:16. Samberg's point shot. Deflection off Perfetti's left skate, the NHL recap said. Scheifele the other assist. Perfetti has a goal in three straight games.

Jets coach Scott Arniel called it a gritty win after four games in six days, with Colorado sitting and waiting. He said Winnipeg tried to deny the middle and most of what Colorado got came from the outside.

Svechkov ties it, Connor does not let it sit

Svechkov tied it at 12:35 of the third. Brett Kulak put one off the end boards. Schwartz found Svechkov in front. Five-hole. 2-2.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar told NHL.com the disappointing part was giving up a partial odd-man rush late against Winnipeg's top line after Colorado had battled back. He wanted at least a point and overtime.

Scheifele and Connor had other ideas. 19:00. Connor's fifth goal in four games. The NHL recap put Connor's 328 career goals in a tie with Ilya Kovalchuk for third in Jets franchise history, behind Dale Hawerchuk (379) and Scheifele (372). Connor told NHL.com he is never surprised when Scheifele threads that pass.

Skinner, to NHL.com, on that line: they stay calm in the chaos. The winner with a minute left gave the rest of the room confidence.

Nathan MacKinnon had one shot in 20:11 and no points. Cale Makar had four shots and three blocks in 25:16. Same blank. Colorado outshot Winnipeg by 15 and still left with a regulation L.

Morrissey leaves, five defensemen finish it

Josh Morrissey landed a hit on T.J. Hughes late in the first and left with an upper-body injury. He returned for one 1:32 shift to start the second, then did not come back. Arniel told NHL.com they would check it Thursday. The remaining five defensemen, he said, needed forwards to pour back and help the breakouts.

Samberg played 25:25 with two assists. Pionk played 23:10 with the Connor tip helper. Morrissey finished 9:32.

Colorado visits Calgary on Thursday. Anaheim visits Winnipeg on Friday.

AthX Engine on 32 saves and a 3-2

AthX Engine (our projection and scoring system) scored Skinner at 13.40 (win, 32 saves, two goals against). Connor is 10.40. Schwartz and Svechkov are 7.70 each. Samberg is 6.20. Scheifele is 5.60. Perfetti is 5.20. Blackwood is 2.80.

Winnipeg's team line is 16.60. Colorado keeps 1.40 on two goals.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Jets club that is 3-0-1 because Connor keeps finishing Scheifele's passes, and for an Avalanche group that threw 34 shots at Skinner and still lost its first. They are not the same number.

Track Connor, Skinner, MacKinnon, and both clubs on the marketplace.

*Sources: AP recap (ESPN), ESPN box score, NHL.com recap, NHL.com scoreboard. AthX Engine fantasy points scored from NHL gamecenter box 2026020054. Information only; not financial advice.*