Avalanche top Jets, now nine points ahead of Stars in race for best record

Don’t look now, but the Colorado Avalanche are pulling away from the Dallas Stars.

And the rest of the NHL for that matter.

The Avs topped the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Thursday night to earn their 48th win of the season. Colorado now sits at 106 points, nine clear of the Stars in the race for the best record in the NHL, Western Conference and Central Division. Dallas lost to the New York Islanders, 2-1, earlier in the evening.

Of course the prize for the Avalanche would be the Presidents’ Trophy, something that more than a handful of folks think is cursed.

But this team might be so good it won’t matter in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup.

Nathan MacKinnon scored two third period goals, Jack Drury added another and Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves in the victory.

The Jets made it interesting late as Mark Scheifele got his second of the game to cut it to one-goal. But the Avs held them off, including an electric fight from Josh Manson and great puck possession down the stretch. Winnipeg could never even get goalie Connor Hellebuyck to the bench for an extra attacker.

MacKinnon had a couple chances at the hat trick late, but came up just short. Still, he’s now scored 48 goals on the year and leads the NHL.

Next up for the Avalanche will be a rematch with the Jets on Saturday, but this time in Denver at Ball Arena. They haven’t had much success against the stud goaltender Hellebuyck in the regular season, however that changed on Thursday. Colorado solved him three times and will look to do it again in fewer than 48 hours.

Add another win in that game and the Presidents’ Trophy race might be over sooner rather than later.

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