The Winnipeg Jets took over first-place in the Central Division with a decisive 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Those expecting a close, back-and-forth game from Canada Life Centre on Saturday may have left the downtown Winnipeg venue disappointed.
Those hoping for a dominant home team effort and a lopsided victory most certainly went home feeling fulfilled.
It was the Jets who took care of business at home on Saturday against the formerly first-place Colorado Avalanche.
And they did so handsomely.
Shutting the visitors down in a lengthly late-game push, the now 18-9-2 Jets put up six goals on the night and ultimately finished off Colorado 6-2.
Winnipeg was without star forward Kyle Connor - who continues to nurse his knee injury - while the Avalanche were missing stud defenceman Cale Makar on the evening, who also was attending to a lower-body concern.
“I mean, you’re not going to replace KC," Jets forward Vlad Namestnikov said postgame. "It’s gotta be a team effort, and everybody has to step their game up. I thought today was a complete team effort. All four lines were rolling and we got a team win.”
The first period was a back-and-forth marathon that saw the home team pull ahead 2-0. After a strong display of netminding from Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets went on the attack.
It was the red-hot Gabe Vilardi who got the game's opening goal, as he potted his third goal in the past four games, and first at home on a setup play from Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey.
Just a minute-and-a-half later, Vlad Namestnikov buried his third of the season on a great pass from Alex Iafallo. With Josh Manson in the box for delay of game, the Jets' top power play unit was unable to find the twine, but it took the second group just seconds to score off an offensive zone face-off win.
“It is always nice to get a power play goal," Namestnikov said. "It was actually pretty quick too. We won the draw, and took it to the net there quick. It’s nice to get rewarded.”
Shots were 6-6 through 20 minutes, with the difference in the game being special teams, as the Jets scored on their lone power play opportunity, while shutting down Colorado's offence on their only penalty kill.
Alex Iafallo extended Winnipeg's lead in the middle stanza, scoring the only goal of the frame on a ridiculous backhand shot from in tight.
Perfectly picking off a Caleb Jones breakout pass, Iafallo moved toward the Avalanche net and put a great backhand shot past Ivan Prosvetsov, extending Winnipeg's lead to three.
Jonathan Drouin did get one back for Colorado early in the third period, however. With Josh Morrissey in the box for high sticking, Drouin tapped home a rebound as Hellebuyck found his view and movement obstructed by Valeri Nichushkin out front.
But it didn't take long for Winnipeg to get back on the scoresheet - and once again it came off the stick of Vilardi.
Scoring his second of the game, and fourth in as many games, the Jets' big offseason addition tucked home a crispy net front puck, deking his way past Prosvetsov to re-establish Winnipeg's three-goal lead.
“He’s got great hands, he’s got great patience with the puck. And he sees the ice really well," Rick Bowness said of Vilardi.
"Big strong guy that’s hard to play against, but it’s his patience with the puck and his skill level is really, really underrated. So he makes plays, he’s great around the net, but I love his patience with the puck. He has that sense of when and when not to make the play, he hangs on to it long enough and lets the play develop. Then takes advantage of it.”
Nino Niederreiter put things out of reach on a one-timer off a three-on-two rush up ice. His goal came just two minutes before Jack Johnson got the visitors their second of the game.
Ehlers put the finishing touches on the game with an empty-netter with 2:03 remaining, sealing the deal on the 6-2 win.
Hellebuyck turned aside 30 of Colorado's 32 shots on the night, while Prosvetsov made 19 stops on the 24 Jets shots that came his way.
Next up for Winnipeg is the continuation of the four-game homestand, as three Original Six clubs roll into town over the coming week.
First, it is a Monday night test with Montreal, before Detroit and Boston come to Canada Life Centre to close out the team's pre-Christmas schedule. The first two games can be viewed live on Sportsnet at 6:30 PM central, while the game against the Bruins will be aired at 7:00 PM on TSN.
