Burns, Necas give Avalanche early lead in 3-2 win over Jets for 12th straight home win

DENVER (AP) — Brent Burns and Martin Necas scored early and the Colorado Avalanche held on to beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Parker Kelly also scored for the Avalanche, who are 6-0-1 since their last regulation loss, a 6-3 defeat at the New York Islanders on Dec. 4. Scott Wedgewood finished with 20 saves.

Colorado has won 12 straight at home to move to 14-0-2 at Ball Arena this season with the 16-game home point streak the fourth longest in franchise history — and longest since going 20-0-2 in 2021-22. At 25-2-7 the Avalanche have 57 points — tied with the 2022-23 Boston Bruins and 2008-09 San Jose Sharks for the second-most in NHL history through 34 games.

Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele scored for Winnipeg, which has lost three straight (0-2-1). Connor Hellebuyck had 24 saves.

Trailing 2-0, Winnipeg got on the scoreboard with a short-handed goal with 38 seconds remaining in the second period. Barron chased a loose puck down the ice, skated across in front of Wedgewood and tucked a backhander past the goalie for his sixth of the season.

Kelly restored Colorado's two-goal lead 1:58 into the third, deflecting a shot by Valeri Nichushkin past a screened Hellebuyck.

Scheifele pulled the Jets to 3-2 with a power-play goal at 3:38, deflecting a pass from Gustav Nyquist past Wedgewood from the left doorstep. It was Scheifele's 17th.

Burns gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 9:45 of the first period. Burns sent a pass towards Jack Drury that deflected off the skate of Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury and past Hellebuyck for his fifth.

Necas doubled the lead with 4:55 remaining in the opening period as he got a pass from Nathan MacKinnon on an Avalanche rush and put it past Hellebuyck for his 15th. MacKinnon got his NHL-leading 59th point and 31st assist to tie Necas for the team lead.

Jets: At Utah on Sunday to finish a three-game trip.

Avalanche: At Minnesota on Sunday.

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

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, top, looks on from the team box in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood stops a shot in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck allows a shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns to go into the net for a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas, right, checks Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, left, in the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) celebrates after scoring with center Jack Drury, left, and defenseman Samuel Girard, bottom right, in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Wolverhampton is setting unwanted records in its nightmare season in the Premier League.

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the team’s abject season so far after its latest defeat, 2-0 at home to Brentford:

The number of points collected by Wolves after 17 games. That's tied for the fewest after the first 17 matches of a campaign in the history of English soccer, along with Newport County (in the fourth tier in 1970-71) and Sheffield United (Premier League in 2020-21).

The number of successive league losses by Wolves, extending a club record. Throw in a loss to Chelsea in the English League Cup and it's 11 straight defeats in all competitions. Next up for Wolves? Trips to Anfield and Old Trafford to play Liverpool and Manchester United to wrap up 2025.

The lowest ever points tally by a team in a Premier League season, set by Derby County in 2007-08. Wolves is battling to avoid that.

The number of points Wolves is from safety less than halfway through the league.

The number of goals conceded by Wolves in 17 league games, more than any other team. They also have the fewest goals, nine.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Nathan Shi, foreground, interim executive chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the stands, ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford, at the Molineux Stadium, in Wolverhampton, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Wolverhampton Wanderers' head coach Rob Edwards walks off the pith after the Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wandere and Manchester United in Wolverhampton, England Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Yerson Mosquera, left, is picked up by with Emmanuel Agbadou after scoring an own goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Wolves in London, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Andre reacts after the Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wandere and Manchester United in Wolverhampton, England Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)