DENVER — Special teams were once again a factor in the Avalanche’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday at Ball Arena.
Colorado entered the game with the league’s best power play, scoring on 6-of-12 opportunities. Its penalty kill had similar numbers, sporting a league’s worst 50 percent (6-for-12).
Valeri Nichushkin scored his fourth goal on the man advantage to make it 3-3 in the second period, helping the Avalanche finish a perfect 1-for-1 on the power play. The penalty kill surrendered the game’s first goal to Jets forward Sam Gagner — finishing 1-for-2.
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And on the first shot of 3-on-3 overtime, Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk scored his second of the evening to give the Jets the victory.
That’s a hard-working team over there,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re a deep team.”
Nichushkin’s tally was the second of three straight by Colorado, which rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second half of the game. The Avs had a strong performance from Mikko Rantanen (two goals, assist) to go along with Nichushkin’s two-point performance.
Colorado’s top four forwards, consisting of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen and Nichushkin two have powered the offense since opening night. They’ve combined for 29 points in four games and have 12 of the team’s 17 goals all season.
“We weren’t getting anything going except for the top line,” Bednar said. “The lines are what they are right now. We’re trying to find some chemistry, some production. The second half of the game I liked the (J.T.) Compher line with (Martin) Kaut and Nichushkin.”
Trailing 3-1 late in the middle frame, the Avs began to take control following a slow start. Colorado had two tallies to tie it up at 3-3 before the second intermission.
“We weren’t skating, we weren’t engaged enough to start and then we started to come,” Bednar said. “The MacKinnon line probably found it much quicker than everyone else.”
Alexandar Georgiev fell to 2-0-1 on the season. The 26-year-old netminder made 24 saves.