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.

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.

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

The Winnipeg Jets lead the NHL power rankings for the first time since November, but it's tight at the top. Plus, the blockbuster Rantanen trade has another big winner.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday ...

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!

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.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar scored for Colorado ... He returned to start the third but left again and didn’t return. Takeaways Jets: Winnipeg rebounded from a loss at Utah that coach Scott Arniel called “embarrassing.” The Jets limited Colorado ...

NHL trade deadline is over a month away, with plenty of time for big moves, yet we’ve already seen a splash that can’t be topped. The Colorado Avalanche traded superstar winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas in a move that will have massive ramifications this season and for years to come.

With more than half of the 2024-25 NHL season completed, the playoff race is taking shape, and the Columbus Blue Jackets have overcome unimaginable adversity to remain in the mix. The Blue Jackets are the best story in hockey,

Though the Colorado Avalanche have already played a game (and lost to the Boston Bruins) since the NHL was rocked, they are still clearly recovering in the wake of the massive trade that saw forward Mikko Rantanen shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes.