WC Game Three: Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche Preview
Avs Tied Series at One Behind Four-Goal Second Period
The Winnipeg Jets (1-1) are in trouble against the Colorado Avalanche with the series shifting back to Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. In a game where both hockey teams had to lock it down defensively, only the Avs found that extra gear in their end.
Through two games Colorado has beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck 11 times. Oddsmakers have made the Avalanche a -165 home favorite with a total of 6.5 (over -115).
The NHL schedule forces us to wait two days until this series picks up again on Friday.
The puck is scheduled to drop at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT and can be seen on TNY, truTV, MAX, and Altitude. Let’s begin our Jets vs Avalanche preview.
Jets vs Avalanche 
Day/Time:
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Streaming: TNY, truTV, MAX, Altitude
Jets Had Their Chances In Game Two
Winnipeg held a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes in the second period and Kyle Connor hit the crossbar in the third that could have changed the dynamic of the game, but throughout you had the feeling that Colorado’s nickname is perfect because the Jets skated like they expected an offensive avalanche.
The problem is Winnipeg isn’t piling up offensive zone time, hurting Rick Bowness’ team because there is consistent pressure in their end because Winnipeg didn’t own the puck enough.
The Jets ran out of fuel after starting the first period with a 9-2 shot advantage but allowed Colorado to take control after that with the Avs outshooting Winnipeg 13-3 to end the first.
The series heads to Colorado where they have a 31-9-7 record, tops in the NHL, but Jets fans will quickly remind everyone that they were responsible for two of those losses and have beaten the Avs in four of the five head-to-head matchups overall.
In those two wins, Winnipeg have mowed down Colorado by a combined score of 11-2. The Jets have been road warriors with a 25-13-3 record, third most in the NHL. In the postseason, Winnipeg has held its own since 2019 with a 5-5 record but that’s good enough to produce to be in the plus money with 1.99 units won.
This hockey season, when receiving between +130 and +140, the Jets were 3-1 (+3.09 units). That was not the usual for Winnipeg after losing 18 of 24 games in that spot before 23-24.
Georgiev Bounces Back With 28 Saves
If the Avalanche were to go back home with a split on the road they knew they had to get more from Alexander Georgiev after allowing seven goals on 23 shots in game one.
The 7-year veteran did just that with a 28-save effort in game two to earn the 5-2 victory. Zach Parise, who only played in 30 NHL games this season gave Colorado the lead for good in the second period after ripping a shot past Hellebuyck in the slot.
Parise didn’t play a game until the first week of February as the 40-year-old went unsigned until GM Chris MacFarland took a chance that didn’t fully pay off until last night. It couldn’t have worked out any better with 56-point scorer Jonathan Drouin out for the first round.
Jared Bednar threw Parise on the top line to replace Drouin, conjuring up the right formula for game two success. The reality for the veteran is this is his last chance to win a Stanley Cup and there’s nothing more dangerous than a veteran with desperation.
The three-time Stanley Cup winners have been forgotten for most of the season, but it would be fair to say that they are legit contenders to win their fourth if Georgiev can give them consistency between the pipes.
During the regular season, Colorado was 5-2 when a favorite between -160 and -170 and 18-9 since 2019-20. It is an impressive record considering that mark includes a 2-4 mark last season.
Take that out of the equation and the Avs are 16-5 using Fridays line as a filter.
Early Betting Favors Colorado
It’s not a surprise to see bettors pile on the Colorado Avalanche with early numbers showing that over 84% of the money and tickets are on the Avs.
That’s been enough to push the number up to -165 after opening up -155 at some smaller books. We expect the number to continue to climb until the Jets can put up a barricade against the Colorado offense.
We’d like to bet Colorado but the price is too high for our bankroll. Until this series produces a low-scoring NHL score, there’s no reason to think we’ll see a different result in game three, especially if Colorado bettors are right while forcing the Jets to match scores.
Our official selection is over 6.5 (-115). That does it for our Jets vs Avalanche preview, all the bets with your NHL picks and parlays this week.
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