DENVER — Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started the winning play when he sent the puck to Vladislav Namestnikov, who fed Pionk skating down the right side. Pionk’s slap shot beat Mackenzie Blackwood to end Winnipeg’s two-game skid.

Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime and Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in Denver on Wednesday night.

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

The Colorado Avalanche are still feeling the impact of the Mikko Rantanen trade, losing their second straight since the deal went down.

HC Scott Arniel criticized himself and his players for their lacklustre effort against Utah HC on Monday. The Jets responded well against an excellent Avalanche team. Connor Hellebuyck turned away 25 of the 27 shots he faced, and MacKenzie Blackwood allowed three goals on 25 Jets shots.

Wednesday in the NHL features an enticing Central Division matchup, with the Winnipeg Jets heading to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day!

The Colorado Avalanche (28-19-1) close out their homestand against the Winnipeg Jets (31-14-3). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:38 p.m. MT. READ MORE: Bednar on Nichushkin: ‘We Don’t Have a Solid Timeline’ In the third straight game against top teams in the Central Division,

Winnipeg stands to both rebound and take advantage of a top-heavy Colorado lineup. My Jets vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks expect the road underdogs to bark loudest in tonight’s Central Division showdown.

BOTTOM LINE: The Winnipeg Jets host the Utah Hockey Club after the Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime. Winnipeg has gone 32-14-3 overall with a 13-5-0 record against the Central Division. The Jets are first in NHL play with 170 total goals (averaging 3.5 per game).

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche play the Winnipeg Jets in a matchup of Central Division opponents. Colorado is 28-19-1 overall with a 7-8-0 record against the Central Division. The Avalanche have a +10 scoring differential, with 159 total goals scored and 149 conceded.

The Winnipeg Jets walked away with a big 3-2 win in overtime over the Avs. Following Scott Arniel’s comments after Monday’s 5-2 loss to Utah and the news that Adam Lowry was week-to-week with an injury, the Jets went to Colorado and walked away with a 3-2 win in overtime over the Avalanche.

The opponent for the Jets this evening are an Avs team which are none too pleased with the 3-1 loss they suffered to the Wild on Monday. They’ve hit a bit of a rough patch going 5-4-1 in their last ten games.