Winnipeg Jets centre Rasmus Kupari, centre front, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenceman Sam Malinski, right, as Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, left, looks on in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie, back, makes a pad save of a shot from Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen in the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie stops a shot in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie, right, stops a redirected shot by Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen in the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Winnipeg Jets centre Cole Perfetti, left, fights for control of the puck as Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, right, defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Winnipeg Jets centre Rasmus Kupari, centre front, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenceman Sam Malinski, right, as Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, left, looks on in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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.
___
AP NHL:
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