The Colorado Avalanche finally picked up a win in their NHL 26 simulation, but not without a nerve-wracking finish.

Colorado stormed out to a dominant start, scoring three times in the first period. Cale Makar led the charge with two goals, while Jack Drury added another and finished the night with two points.

The Avs carried that 3–0 lead into the third period, but things quickly unraveled. Winnipeg erupted for three goals in the final frame to tie the game and put Colorado on edge. However, Makar stepped up once again, completing the hat trick to restore the lead. Brock Nelson later added an empty-netter to seal a 5–3 victory.

Scott Wedgewood was excellent for most of the night, turning aside 30 shots. His third-period struggles were largely the result of defensive breakdowns in front of him rather than his own play.

Brad Lambert recorded a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, while Jonathan Toews and Cole Perfetti also found the back of the net. Dylan DeMelo chipped in two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck finished with 24 saves.

Nathan MacKinnon forced an early turnover and tested Hellebuyck right away, but the Jets netminder was up to the task.

Soon after, Gabriel Vilardi created space and fired a backhand from the top of the right circle, only to be denied by Wedgewood’s glove.

Nearly four minutes in, Logan O’Connor was called for cross-checking Haydn Fleury, giving Winnipeg its first power play.

Colorado has surrendered its share of shorthanded goals this season, but this time they flipped the script. Makar jumped on a loose puck along the boards and executed a perfect wraparound to open the scoring five minutes into the period.

The Avs kept pouring it on. Makar struck again after corralling a rebound off a Brett Kulak point shot, walking into the slot, shrugging off pressure from Kyle Connor, and beating Hellebuyck glove side to make it 2–0. Moments later, Drury buried a rebound to make it three goals on just nine shots.

Late in the period, Gabriel Landeskog was sent off for holding Adam Lowry, giving Winnipeg another power-play opportunity.

Wedgewood came up huge, robbing Mark Scheifele twice from the doorstep to preserve the shutout.

After one period, Colorado led 3–0 while holding a slight 12–11 edge in shots.

O’Connor nearly broke in alone early in the period, but Fleury tracked him down and disrupted the chance.

Midway through the frame, O’Connor generated another opportunity, getting a shot on net and chasing his own rebound, but Hellebuyck sprawled across the crease to smother it.

The period remained scoreless, with both teams tightening up defensively heading into the third.

Winnipeg came out with urgency to start the third. Adam Iafallo ripped a one-timer from the slot, but Wedgewood made a sharp save. Moments later, Josh Morrissey hammered a slap shot from the point, and Wedgewood got just enough of it with his stick.

The Avalanche looked a step slow, and the momentum was clearly shifting. Toews finally broke through to get Winnipeg on the board.

Not long after, Lambert redirected a DeMelo point shot to cut the lead to one, and the pressure kept building. The comeback was completed at the 9:09 mark when Perfetti wired a 90 mph wrist shot past Wedgewood to tie the game.

But just as quickly as things unraveled, Colorado responded. Makar completed the hat trick with a blistering top-shelf wrist shot that sent Hellebuyck’s water bottle flying.

Nelson added an empty-net goal to put the game out of reach.

The Avalanche take on the Jets in real life, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. local time in Denver, while the game is played at Canada Life Centre.