Valeri Nichushkin had three goals for his first career hat trick and the Colorado Avalanche took a commanding lead in their first-round series with a 5-1 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in Denver.
Colorado has won the last three games to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference best-of-seven series, with Game 5 on Tuesday night in Winnipeg. The Avalanche have outscored Winnipeg 16-5 since losing the first game, 7-6.
Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen each had a goal and an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 26 shots for Colorado.
“I’m seeing what I want to see,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “Just want it to continue.”
Nate Schmidt scored for the Jets, who are on the brink of elimination. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck continued to struggle, allowing four goals on 30 shots before being replaced by Laurent Brossoit to start the third period.
“I don’t think those goals are his fault,” Jets forward Mark Scheifele said of Hellebuyck. “He’s our backbone, he’s our heart and soul.”
Brossoit had four saves on four shots.
Winnipeg center Vladislav Namestnikov was helped off the ice with 13:03 left after Schmidt’s slap shot from the point hit him in the head.
“He’s at the hospital being looked at right now. So that’s all I have until we get a report on what they see,” coach Rick Bowness said postgame.
The Jets were already without defenseman Brenden Dillon, who was scratched due to a cut on his hand suffered in the scrum after time expired in Game 3 on Friday night.
Nichushkin put Colorado ahead 2-1 when he deflected Makar’s shot from the point at 11:36 of the second. Makar made it 3-1 at 15:03 when he skated from his own zone through Winnipeg players and beat Hellebuyck with a wrister from the top of the right circle.
Nichushkin capped off a dominant second period when he scored his fifth goal of the postseason at 19:36. He completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 19:47 of the third.
“He’s been awesome for us,” Makar said. “I thought he did have one (hat trick before this). When he’s moving his legs he’s one of the best players in the league. For Val, when he’s using his body right and skating well he’s a pretty special player to watch.”
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead when Lehkonen scored at 8:10 of the first period. It was his fourth of the series and fourth straight game with a goal.
“I’ve gotten from some great looks from guys I’ve played with,” Lehkonen said. “(Casey Mittelstadt) the past two games has made a lot of good plays for me. He keeps finding me and I want to continue it.”
Winnipeg drew even later in the first period when Schmidt took a pass from Mason Appleton as he entered the offensive zone and beat Georgiev with a snap shot at 13:56.
Colorado challenged that the play was offsides, but Schmidt’s first goal of the playoffs stood upon review.
–Field Level Media
