Jets fumble away playoff appearance Avalanche brush aside outmatched Jets for 4-1 series win

In one of the biggest disappoints of the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round, the Winnipeg Jets lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 6-3, on Tuesday night, to lose the series, 4-1.

There were higher expectations, much higher, for the Jets this post season.

“We brought our best game in the series, but obviously at this point we were a desperate team,” Morrissey said. “We didn’t get to our game soon enough in the series. That’s the way I see it, I’m proud of the way the guys competed but… you work all year to give yourself an opportunity. We had a great regular season and out in five, it’s pretty disappointing.”

If that was the best game, the Jets deserved to lose.

Kyle Connor was credited with the game’s first goal, on an own goal by the Avs at 1:15 into the first period. There was a scramble at the top of the crease with the puck being put in by an Avs defender.

Colorado tied it on a strike by Valeri Nichushkin, at 3:18, scoring from low in the right circle.

“That’s by far the best playoff game we’ve played — it didn’t go our way tonight,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “Couple goals went in off of us. We had some chances that we didn’t score. Where was that in the first four games? That’s a question we’re going to have to answer ourselves over the course of the summer. But we’re way ahead of where we were at this point last year when we lost. Way ahead.”

Again, if that was the best, the Jets were unprepared for the playoffs.

In the middle frame, Yakov Trenin put the Avs up, 2-1, at 5:42, corralling an errant puck at the top of the crease.

“You could say it was maybe the hardest game of the series,” Trenin said. “We all put all in and we defended hard in the second and [we] eventually break their momentum and score some big goals in the third.”

Alexandar Georgiev made 34 saves in the win.

“I thought the first couple periods we were maybe a little bit too cautious,” Georgiev said. “But in the third we knew they would try to open it up we scored a big goal, the fourth one, and kept playing smart. Very, very solid effort.”

Winnipeg got even on a power play marker from Josh Morrissey at 6:48, he scored off a shot form the point.

“You know, when I watch this series, they were faster most of the games,” Morrissey said. “They were aggressive, that was clearly their game plan. Like I said, I think we just never brought our best game until today, where I think we played our best game we’ve had in the series, but I still don’t think it’s our best game. It’s disappointing. There is going to be a time of reflection, where there always is, which [stinks]. But we need to figure out a way to all get better this offseason because we just saw what it looks like to play against a team that knows how to win.”

Artturi Lehkonen  restored the Avalanche lead, 3-2, at 13:45, scoring after  his attempted pass deflected in off a Jets defenseman.

Winnipeg had one last push when Tyler Toffoli knotted the game, 3-3, at 2:06 of the third.

“There’s no moral victories in this league,” the Jets Adam Lowry said. “I think we got back to the foundation of being a real solid defensive team and we thought we were going to give ourselves a great chance with that identity to go on a long run. Unfortunately, we couldn’t play that game consistently enough. It’s not for a lack of trying or a lack of effort. I think everyone in this room shows up and they put their best foot forward. The Avs did a really good job forcing us to try and play their game.”

Mikko Rantanen then hit a double to give the Avalanche a 5-3 advantage.