Avalanche beats Jets 4-3 in shootout

DENVER-- Late comebacks and wins in extra time made the Colorado Avalanche the NHL's surprise team last year.

Struggling this season one point from the cellar of the Western Conference's Central Division, Colorado reverted to that winning formula on Thursday night. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist in regulation and got the decisive goal in the shootout, Calvin Pickard had 30 saves through overtime and stopped two more shots with the game on the line, and Colorado rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3.

"It was huge," Pickard said. "We've been losing close games by one goal, and the difference between winning and losing is a small margin. We wanted to just stick with it for 60 minutes and we did right to the end."

Ryan O'Reilly and Jarome Iginla also had regulation goals as Colorado stopped a four-game skid.

The Avalanche routinely won last year by scoring late in the third period and then prevailing after regulation. Thursday was only one win, but coach Patrick Roy hopes it's the start of something good.

"We were resilient and it was a nice comeback," he said. "To win in the shootout was good for us. You always hope a game like this will bring confidence and a belief in ourselves."

Mark Scheifele, who had a goal and two assists, gave Winnipeg a 3-1 lead with a goal at 4:32 of the third, but Colorado rallied late. Iginla's wrister with 7:05 left got the Avalanche within a goal and O'Reilly tied it with 2:42 remaining in regulation.

After a scoreless overtime, Nathan MacKinnon and Duchene beat goalie Ondrej Pavelec with a couple of backhanders. Pickard stopped Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler in the shootout to get the win.

"I actually have faced Wheeler in the summers," Pickard said. "I know he's got great moves and I just wanted to be patient and let the play come to me."

Pickard made a pair of saves on a breakaway midway through overtime. Andrew Ladd came in alone but was stoned. His rebound came to Bryan Little, but Pickard made the save on his shot to keep it tied.

"I just wanted to be patient," Pickard said. "Our back check forced (Ladd) to make a quick shot. I was playing pretty aggressive and the rebound kind of just lay there. I made a desperation-mode save."

Pavelec finished with 23 saves in regulation and overtime. Ladd and Paul Postma also had regulation goals for Winnipeg, which is 5-0-3 in its last eight games.

The Avalanche ended a 93-minute, 31-second scoring drought when Duchene finished off a nice rush with a deflection into the top of the net that tied the game at 1-all at 3:55 of the second.

Postma gave the Jets a 2-1 lead heading into the third with a power-play goal at 14:40. It was his second of the season.

"We dominated the second period where I'd thought the game was won," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. "At 3-1 I thought we were fine."