Lowry, Connor propel Jets to 7-6 playoff win over Avalanche

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Captain Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor each scored twice to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

“He loves these challenges," Jets coach Rick Bowness said of Lowry. "He’s going up against one of the best players in the world, not necessarily the league, but the world in Nate (Nathan MacKinnon). So, he loves those challenges and he takes his game to another level.”

MacKinnon, who had a goal and one assist, was second in league scoring with 140 points during the regular season.

“That’s our captain, man. He’s a gamer,” Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon said of Lowry. “The physicality, he plays against the top guys every night. Sometimes when it seems like our group doesn’t have it, he’s able to pull us into the fight.”

Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Josh Morrissey registered a goal and assist. Vladislav Namestnikov also scored. Brenden Dillon, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter each added a pair of assists and Connor picked up one helper.

There were 100 hits in the game, with the Avalanche having a 54-46 edge.

Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves for the Jets, who are on a nine-game win streak.

Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen notched a goal and one assist. Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood and Casey Mittelstadt also scored. Mikko Rantanen chipped in with two helpers.

“Unfortunately, all the mistakes that we made ended up in the back of our net,” Makar said. “That’s just the way she goes sometimes. A couple things to clean up and then turn the page.”

Alexandar Georgiev stopped 16 of the 23 shots he faced for Colorado, which is trying to repeat its 2022 Stanley Cup-championship run. He was backed up by Arvid Holm instead of Justus Annunen, who wasn’t at the morning skate.

It was the first time the two teams have met in the NHL playoffs.

The Avalanche came into the series having lost all three regular-season games against Winnipeg.

“We played extremely hard,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We did a lot of good things. You don’t get six (goals) on the Jets without doing that.

“We also made some mistakes that they capitalized on. Too many, obviously tonight, and it ends up costing us the hockey game.”

The first period ended in a 3-3 tie, including the teams combining to score three goals in 66 seconds.

“It’s not the way we drew it up, a 7-6 game, but sometimes you’ve just got to play that game that’s in front of you,” Connor said. “It turned into a bit of a track meet there and we know we’ve got to be better.”

The teams then combined for four goals in just under four minutes.

Lowry got the only goal of the second period.

Lowry’s second goal of the game had to be reviewed as the puck hit one post, went across and hit the other post and then slid along the goal line and hit the post again before bouncing out. It counted as crossing the line at 3:31.

Mark Scheifele’s first-period goal was his 20th career playoff goal, scored in his 38th game.

Only three active players have reached that mark in fewer games. Alex Ovechkin did it in 26 games, Jake Guentzel in 32 and Connor McDavid in 36 games.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Tuesday in Winnipeg.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche Miles Wood (28) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets with teammates Jack Johnson (3), Caleb Jones (82) and Joel Kiviranta (94) during the first period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets with teammate Zach Parise (9) during the first period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) scores against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the first period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) watches the puck as Colorado Avalanche right wing Brandon Duhaime (12) looks for a rebound during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

CORRECTS TO COLORADO AVALANCHE ASSISTANT COACH NOLAN PRATT NOT HEAD COACH JARED BEDNAR - A Winnipeg Jets fan, upper center, dances in a polar bear outfit behind Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Nolan Pratt, center left, during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets fans cheer after their team scored against the Colorado Avalanche during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) celebrates a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Alex Iafallo (9) and David Gustafsson (19) celebrate a goal by Vladislav Namestnikov (7) on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the first period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) celebrates his goal against the Colorado Avalanche with teammates Mark Scheifele (55) and Josh Morrissey (44) during the third period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry (17) scores against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sunday April 21, 2024. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)