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.

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime without their captain Adam Lowry. View the original article to see embedded media. HC Scott Arniel criticized himself and his players for their lacklustre effort against Utah HC on Monday.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 Avalanche lost 3-2 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday at Ball Arena. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar scored for Colorado while Jonathan Drouin recorded a pair of assists.

For all his stick magic and more-than-point-a-game productivity, MacKinnon is hockey’s king of VO2 max. He leaves foes gasping for air in his wake. MacKinnon was on the ice for 23 minutes, 59 seconds against the Jets. He ranks 14th in the NHL for most playing time. Every other player in the top 20 is a defenseman.

Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night.