Jets score 4 goals in 1st period, beat Avalanche 7-0 to take control of 2nd seed in Central

DENVER (AP) — The Winnipeg Jets want to remember this game for everything that went right. Colorado wants to remember it, too, for all that went wrong.

Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry scored 10 seconds apart in a four-goal first period that chased Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the net, and the Jets moved into the driver’s seat for the Central Division's second seed with a 7-0 win against the Avalanche on Saturday.

With Dallas wrapping up the division title earlier in the day, the stage is set for Colorado and Winnipeg squaring off in the first round of the playoffs. All that remains to sort out is which team has home-ice advantage. The Jets are two points ahead of the Avalanche for the No. 2 spot in the division with two games to play. They also hold the tiebreaker.

Winnipeg just may have found a blueprint as well for keeping in check a speedy Colorado team.

“That’s not their hockey team,” Jets coach Rick Bowness cautioned. “We know they’re a great hockey team and we know it’s going to be a tough series. ... We came out and wanted to play aggressive against them, and we did.”

The Avalanche aren't looking to turn the page on this game. Not after this outcome.

“You can’t be forgetting why it ended up like that, especially when you have to play them at the most important time of the year,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, whose team has lost three of their last four games. “We’re going to have to remember it. We’re going to have to learn from it, study it, understand it. We’re going to have to be a lot better than that.”

Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his fifth shutout of the season.

Sean Monahan and Lowry each had two goals, while Gabriel Vilardi and Tyler Toffoli also scored to help the Jets extend their win streak to six in a row. Winnipeg led 7-0 after two periods as 10 players had a point. It's the first time in franchise history the team has scored seven consecutive goals in a game, according to NHL Stats.

Winnipeg finished 3-0 against Colorado this season, outscoring the Avalanche by a 17-4 margin.

“It’s nice to come in here and play really well, but come playoff time we expect a better effort from them,” Lowry said.

Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche entered the game as the league's highest scoring team (3.72 goals per game) but were bottled up by Hellebuyck. It's the fifth time the Avalanche have been blanked this season — and first time at home.

“Everything went wrong,” MacKinnon said.

Georgiev allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled for Justus Annunen with 4:43 remaining in the opening period. Annunen surrendered three goals on 11 shots as goaltending remains a big question mark for Colorado heading into the postseason.

Monahan opened the scoring 5:59 into the contest as Winnipeg nearly finished the period with as many goals (four) as Colorado had total shots (five).

The goals by Morrissey and Lowry 10 seconds apart tied for the second-fastest two scores in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history. The fastest two were 7 seconds apart on Dec. 2, 2008.

Mikko Rantanen returned to the lineup for Colorado after missing two games while in concussion protocol. Now, defenseman Samuel Girard enters the concussion protocol after leaving in the first period after running into teammate Ross Colton.

“Competitively, we were not where we needed to be,” Colorado's Andrew Cogliano said. "I feel like we got a good taste of what it’s going to be like in the playoffs.”

UP NEXT

Jets: Host Seattle on Tuesday night.

Avalanche: At Vegas on Sunday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo, right, struggles to collect the puck as Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, left, defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, top center, looks on with assistant coach Ray Bennet, upper right, and Nolan Pratt, upper left, in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen pulls on his helmet after a timeout in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets center Morgan Barron, left, drives past Colorado Avalanche center Andrew Cogliano, center right, in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen, foreground, makes pad-save of a shot in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi, front left, redirects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, front right, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev cover in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt, left, looks to pass the puck as Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk, right, covers in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets center Sean Monahan, right, celebrates with center Tyler Toffoli after scoring in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) clears the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets center Sean Monahan, front right, is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Authorities said they have recovered the body of a fifth person who was missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge more than a month ago.

The collapse shut down the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the country. On Thursday, the broker for the bridge's insurance policy confirmed that a $350 million payout will be made to the state of Maryland in what is expected to be the first of many payouts related to the collapse.

Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths on March 26 when a container ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command announced that the victim found Wednesday was identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, is preparing to make the $350 million payment, according to WTW, the broker. Douglas Menelly, a spokesperson for WTW, on Thursday confirmed plans for the payout, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Chubb did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Salvage teams found one of the missing construction vehicles Wednesday and notified the Maryland State Police, officials said. State police investigators and Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers and the FBI responded to the scene and recovered the body inside a red truck. The state police underwater recovery team and crime scene unit also assisted.

“We remain dedicated to the ongoing recovery operations while knowing behind each person lost in this tragedy lies a loving family,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler said in a statement. “Along with our local, state and federal partners, we ask that everyone extend their deepest sympathies and support to the families during this difficult time.”

The Dali container ship has been stationary amid the wreckage since the collapse, but crews plan to refloat and remove the ship, allowing more maritime traffic to resume through Baltimore’s port. Officials expect to have it removed by May 10, according to a Port of Baltimore news release.

Workers remove wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Flowers are seen at a memorial site to honor the construction workers who lost their lives in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Roberto Marquez, an artist from Dallas, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at a memorial site to honor the construction workers who lost their lives in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Workers remove wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)