With the Western Conference’s best team in town, Wednesday presented a test for the streaky Avalanche. Colorado flunked.

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.

Adam Lowry is Winnipeg's de facto No. 2 centre, making his extended absence a troubling item for the top team in the West.

Raised in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were more adept at typing than scoring, he shifted his attention to cover his favourite sport as a writer.

In 62 previous regular-season matchups against the Jets, the Avalanche are 29-26-7. This season, the home teams are undefeated, with the Jets winning in Winnipeg on November 7 and January 11 while the Avs won in Denver on December 31.

Neal Pionk scored the winner just 17 seconds into the extra frame as the Jets captured the season series against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar issued an honest message to Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the rest of the team after a 3-2 overtime loss against the Winnipeg Jets.

Nathan MacKinnon is in a tight race for the Hart Trophy (MVP), but the Colorado Avalanche center likely added another bullet point to his strong résumé on Wednesday night.