Avs edge Jets as NHL goals leader Nathan MacKinon nets pair

Colorado extends Central Division lead with victory over Winnipeg

Mar. 27, 2026 at 8:35am

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Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals 3:42 apart early in the third period, Jack Drury also had a goal, and the visiting Colorado Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Thursday night. Artturi Lehkonen had an assist in his return from an 11-game absence with an upper-body injury and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 22 shots for Colorado. Mark Scheifele scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves for Winnipeg, who trail Nashville by five points for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Why it matters

The NHL-leading Avalanche have now won four in a row and increased their Central Division lead to nine points over the slumping Dallas Stars, who lost their fourth straight game on Thursday. This victory keeps Colorado firmly in control of the division race as the regular season winds down.

The details

The game was tied 1-1 after two periods, and Colorado started the third with seven seconds of a two-man advantage. Nazem Kadri's pass through the slot went off MacKinnon and dropped in the crease, and MacKinnon knocked it in before Hellebuyck could cover it. MacKinnon made it 3-1 at 3:55 when he redirected Lehkonen's pass to the front of the net before Hellebuyck could glove it. Scheifele cut the Jets' deficit in half with his second of the game at 9:39.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 27, 2026.
  • MacKinnon scored his two goals early in the third period.

The players

Nathan MacKinnon

The NHL's leading goal scorer, who netted a pair of goals to lead the Avalanche to victory.

Jack Drury

The Avalanche forward who also scored a goal in the win.

Mark Scheifele

The Jets forward who scored both of Winnipeg's goals in the loss.

Artturi Lehkonen

The Avalanche forward who returned from an 11-game absence and recorded an assist on MacKinnon's second goal.

Mackenzie Blackwood

The Avalanche goaltender who made 22 saves to earn the victory.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play our game and not get caught up in the standings. There's still a lot of hockey left to be played.”

— Nathan MacKinnon

What’s next

The two teams will play again on Saturday night in Denver.

The takeaway

The Avalanche's victory extends their lead atop the Central Division as they continue their push towards the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Jets remain on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, trailing Nashville by five points for the second wild card spot.