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05/01 00:07 CDT Rantanen scores twice in the 3rd period to lead Avalanche past
Jets 6-3 and into the 2nd round
Rantanen scores twice in the 3rd period to lead Avalanche past Jets 6-3 and
into the 2nd round
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) --- Mikko Rantanen scored his first two goals of the
playoffs in the third period, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory
over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night that clinched their opening-round
playoff series in five games.
Rantanen, who had an assist, scored twice in a span of just under four minutes
early in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie.
Valeri Nichushkin, Yakov Trenin, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson also scored
for the Avalanche, who will play the winner of the series between the Dallas
Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.
Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews each had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev
made 33 saves for Colorado.
Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Jets. Connor
Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots.
The game was tied at 1 after a fast-paced first period and Colorado led 3-2
heading into the third.
Toffoli tied it at 3 for the Jets, who won all three meetings during the
regular season. But Rantanen scored his first goal of the game two minutes
later at 4:11 to put the Avalanche up 4-3. He added his second goal at 8:01.
Manson shot into the empty net with 2 seconds left to cap the victory for
Colorado, which finished three points behind Winnipeg in the Central Division.
It was the first time the teams faced each other in the playoffs.
Winnipeg became the first team in NHL history to allow five or more goals in
each of its first five games to begin a postseason. The Avalanche outscored the
Jets 28-15 during the series, including four empty-net goals.
With the game tied at 1 in the second period, Trenin got his first goal and
point of the series when his shot hit the post and he regained the puck and
flipped it into the net at 5:42 to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.
Winnipeg went on its first power play a minute later and Morrissey's one-timer
from the point blew past Georgiev 14 seconds into the man advantage.
Lehkonen made it 3-2, but it came when Jets defenseman Neal Pionk inadvertently
knocked the puck into the net with his stick with 6:15 left in the second.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
