Perfetti's late goal lifts Jets over Avs, 4-2

DENVER (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored a tiebreaking goal late in the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets kept their postseason hopes alive with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves, Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist, and Cole Koepke and Kyle O’Connor scored for Winnipeg. The Jets, with 74 points, are three behind Nashville for the second wild-card in the Western Conference.

Winnipeg earned a split of the season series and won the second game of the home-and-home between the teams. Colorado won in Winnipeg, 3-2, on Thursday night.

Brock Nelson and Parker Kelly scored for Colorado, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. The Avalanche loss, combined with Dallas’ win at Pittsburgh, cut their Central Division lead over the Stars to seven points.

Colorado, which leads the NHL with 106 points, has played one less game than Dallas.

The Avalanche carried the play for much of the third but the Jets got the go-ahead goal at 14:49 when Perfetti redirected Jacob Bryon’s shot from the point past a screened Mackenzie Blackwood.

Colorado unsuccessfully challenged that Jonathan Toews interfered with Blackwood. O’Connor sealed it with an empty-net goal at 17:51, his 33rd of the season.

Blackwood made 17 saves.

Vilardi scored his 28th goal 3:51 into the game and Nelson tied it on a redirect for his 33rd of the season midway through the first.

Cale Makar had the primary assist on Nelson’s goal, his 52nd of the season. It was the 500th point of his career since debuting with the Avalanche in 2019. He reached the total in his 467th career game, fourth fastest among defensemen in NHL history.

Koepke put the Jets back in front 2:14 into the second period but Kelly tied it at 18:05 with his career-best 17th of the season.

Jets: At Chicago on Tuesday night.

Avalanche: Host Calgary on Monday night.

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

Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, left, collects the puck as defenseman Brent Burns, back left, checks Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (91) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets left wing Cole Koepke, left, scores against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck makes a glove-save in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) drives past Winnipeg Jets right wing Isak Rosen, right, in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Winnipeg Jets left wing Alex Iafallo (9) shoots the puck past Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak (27) as Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, right, makes a stop in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Much of the focus in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix will be on Mercedes' 19-year-old driver Kimi Antonelli — he's on the pole — and Ferrari's 41-year-old Lewis Hamilton, the most decorated racer in Formula 1 history.

Antonelli won the first F1 race of his career two weeks ago in China, the second-youngest winner in history. The youngest was Max Verstappen in 2016 at only 18. The young Italian also won from pole-position in China, the youngest to ever claim that spot.

It was a rare sighting on Sunday when Hamilton and Antonelli were spotted walking together into the paddock area at the Suzuka circuit in central Japan. They know each well from Hamilton's days at Mercedes.

Consider this. When Hamilton won his first Formula 1 race in 2007 in Canada, Antonelli was only 9 1/2 months old. Of course, it marks the change of generations in the sport.

Hamilton leads the F1 record books in almost every category: most races won (105), most poles (104), and most podiums (207). And the British drivers is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most world championships (7).

Hamilton had an abysmal season in 2025. He didn't win a race, nor did he get on the podium in his first season with Ferrari. He finished in fourth place — four times. That was all.

Hamilton broke through two weeks ago in China with a third-place finish, signaling he's back for 2026 in a competitive car.

“I've not lost what I had,” Hamilton said the other day in Suzuka.

Antonelli's teammate George Russell will start alongside on the front row as Mercedes aims for its third straight win of the young season. Russell and Antonelli have split the first two races in Australia and China.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri starts on the second row with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with Lando Norris of McLaren — the defending champion — on row three with Hamilton.

Verstappen, the four-time champion, is starting 11th on the grid as he struggles at Red Bull with the newly configured car designs being used this season in Formula 1.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the second practice session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the qualifying session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy, left, and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, right, walk together prior to the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Suzuka, central Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy, walks at th paddock prior to the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Suzuka, central Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy, left, and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, right, greet each other prior to the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Suzuka, central Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)