Mittelstadt leads Avalanche past NHL-leading Jets 5-2

DENVER (AP) — Casey Mittelstadt ended a 19-game scoring drought with a tiebreaking goal in the third period and the Colorado Avalanche beat the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Mittelstadt last scored on Nov. 18 in Philadelphia and had been demoted to the fourth line. He broke that slump Tuesday by deflecting Josh Manson’s shot by Winnipeg’s Eric Comrie at 7:22, sending Colorado to its fifth straight win.

Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews also scored, Mackenzie Blackwood had 21 saves and Mikko Rantanen and Ross Colton scored empty-net goals to seal it.

The Avalanche led by a goal in the first and second periods, but Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi tied it each time for Winnipeg, which had its four-game winning streak halted.

TAKEAWAYS

Jets: Comrie came into the game with a 3.05 goals-against average, 1.05 more than Connor Hellebuyck, but played well against Colorado, making 31 saves. Defenceman Dylan DeMelo left late in the third after taking a shot off the leg and didn’t return.

Avalanche: Jonathan Drouin had an assist in his first game since Nov. 25. He missed 16 games with an upper-body injury and played on the second line. However, Ivan Ivan is out multiple weeks with the same injury, allowing Juuso Parssinen to become the 38th player to skate for Colorado this season.

KEY MOMENT

Winnipeg pressed for the equalizer after Mittelstadt’s goal and nearly got it when the puck ricocheted off the back boards to Kyle O’Connor. But Blackwood made a pad save with 3:02 left.

KEY STAT

Excluding 2020-21 and 2012-13, when the seasons started in January, and 2021-22, when the game against Dallas was postponed, the Avalanche have hosted 10 straight games on New Year’s Eve. They are 5-3-2 in those games.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Avalanche: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL