Season Over: Jets Fall 6-3 to Avalanche in Game 5

League's No. 1 defensive team puts up horrific postseason effort, falls in five games Colorado.

The Winnipeg Jets' 2023-24 season has officially come to an end - far earlier than most expected. 

On Tuesday night, in another late-night affair with the Colorado Avalanche, the Jets saw their dreams of Stanley Cup glory slip away in front of their very eyes. 

“In the [last] two years, that’s by far the best playoff game we’ve played," head coach Rick Bowness said post-game. "It didn’t go our way tonight. Couple goals went in off of us. We had some chances that we didn’t score [on]. 

"Where was that in the first four games? That’s a question we’re going to have to answer ourselves over the course of the summer. But we’re way ahead of where we were at this point last year when we lost. Way ahead."

For the fifth time in the five-game series, the Avalanche scored five-plus goals, this time finishing off the Jets with a 6-3 thrashing at Canada Life Centre. 

As a matter of fact, it was the very first time in NHL history that a club has allowed five-plus goals in each of its first five postseason games. 

Yes, the league's No. 1 defensive team made the wrong kind of history. 

"I thought we played pretty well tonight, honestly," captain Adam Lowry said post-game. "The difference is, our line gives up three against the MacKinnon line. Disappointing, disappointing way to end the year and I think everyone in this room is upset with our level of play in the series. We knew the Avs are a great rush team, they generate a lot of offense and we believe we could slow them down."

Despite scoring just 1:15 into the game and later tying the game at threes early in the third period, the Jets' season came to an end on what became a very familiar theme through the series: allowing far too many shots, chances and goals to a potent Colorado club. 

Connor Hellebuyck gave up five goals on 31 shots, putting a merciful end to his horrid postseason. Sure, he made some solid stops along the way, but the Jets' 2024 postseason run will long be remembered for the goals Winnipeg gave up, as opposed to the goals it scored.

"They brought that Stanley Cup-winning class to this series, and we didn’t return it for three or four of those games," Josh Morrissey said post-game. "We have levels that we need to find this offseason. I hope it stings for all of us into the summer and we use it as motivation."

Making their postseason debuts for Winnipeg were forward Cole Perfetti and defenceman Colin Miller. With injuries to Morgan Barron, Vlad Namestnikov and Brenden Dillon, the two players drew into the lineup from the press box for the win-or-go-home Game 5.

The Jets got things going right off the start, as Kyle Connor found his third of the postseason off a fluky bounce play just 1:15 into the contest. As a matter of fact, Connor was the third-last player to touch the puck before it entered the Avalanche net.

After bringing the puck to the crease, the visitors corralled the loose puck, but Josh Manson's clearing attempt banked directly off Artturi Lehkonen and into the cage, bringing the already standing crowd right up to 113 decibels on the noise meter.

But has been the story so far in so much of the opening round thus far, Colorado responded right back, and did so in short order. 

With just 3:18 having ticked off the clock, Nathan MacKinnon carried the puck into Winnipeg's zone, where he found Mikko Rantanen, who got it across the ice to Devon Toews at the left point. He fed the playoffs' leading goal scorer Val Nichushkin, who pounded home his seventh on a one-timer that beat Connor Hellebuyck across his net. 

The Avalanche maintained a 13-7 shot lead through the opening 20, while the two teams were deadlocked at ones entering the middle stanza.

Colorado got off to a strong start in the second, as Cale Makar rattled one off the crossbar on a partial break less than two minutes in. Then, at 5:42 of the period Yakov Trenin broke the tie, scoring on an individual effort as he tucked one past Hellebuyck as he came out from behind the net.

But with Miles Wood in the box for holding, Winnipeg got a power play marker. An offensive zone face-off win led to some strong puck possession from Gabe Vilardi and Mark Scheifele, who teamed up to find Josh Morrissey alone at the point. He one-timed his third of the series past Georgiev, tying the game once again. 

Much like that of the game's opening goal, it was the Avalanche's turn to be credited for a strike off an own goal. This time, it was Neal Pionk banking the puck into his net off a Colorado rebound. Lehkonen was credited with the go-ahead goal with 6:15 to go in the frame. 

Winnipeg did get a power play late in the frame, but was not able to put one past Georgiev. The Jets did pull ahead on the shot chart, but remained down a goal entering the third.

A quick line change by head coach Rick Bowness saw Tyler Toffoli make an immediate impact with his familiar second linemates just 2:06 in.

Cutting across the offensive zone was Nikolaj Ehlers, who dropped the puck to the deadline day acquisition. Toffoli ripped a wrist shot past Georgiev, blowing the roof off Canada Life Centre.

But once again, it was the Avalanche that killed all the gained momentum, finding the twine again on a long-range shot from the point that Rantanen redirected past Hellebuyck and into the net 4:11 in.

Then, putting the final nail in the coffin was Rantanen, scoring his second of the game on a two-on-one with 12 minutes left to play. 

Winnipeg squabbled its way down to the final few minutes without really getting much for offence in the attacking zone. 

Hellebuyck was pulled for the extra attacker with three minutes left in the game, but it was Colorado that ultimately did the Jets in - once again. 

Josh Manson fired the puck the length of the ice into the empty net, sealing the deal on the game, and the series.

And as the now late-Bob Cole famously called, "They're going home!"

For now, the next stop is the golf course. 

"It’s disappointing," Morrissey added. "There is going to be a time of reflection, where there always is, which sucks. But, we need to figure out a way to all get better this offseason because we just saw what it looks like to play against a team that knows how to win.”