DENVER — Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started the winning play when he sent the puck to Vladislav Namestnikov, who fed Pionk skating down the right side. Pionk’s slap shot beat Mackenzie Blackwood to end Winnipeg’s two-game skid.

For all his stick magic and more-than-point-a-game productivity, MacKinnon is hockey’s king of VO2 max. He leaves foes gasping for air in his wake. MacKinnon was on the ice for 23 minutes, 59 seconds against the Jets. He ranks 14th in the NHL for most playing time. Every other player in the top 20 is a defenseman.

Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime and Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in Denver on Wednesday night.

Nathan MacKinnon is in a tight race for the Hart Trophy (MVP), but the Colorado Avalanche center likely added another bullet point to his strong résumé on Wednesday night.

DENVER -- Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, giving the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Wednesday. Pionk won it with a slap shot from the top of the right face-off circle.

On Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena. The Avs fell 3-2 in overtime, losing the second consecutive game. After a goalless first period, Nathan MacKinnon ...

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots and scores against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) in the second period at Ball Arena in Denver Wednesday, Jan. 22 ...

The Dallas Stars and Golden Knights have been two of the West's top teams for years, and it may be the Conference Final we deserve.

MONTREAL -- Kyle Connor scored twice, and the Winnipeg Jets extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday. Mark Scheifele also scored, and Gabriel Vilardi had two assists for the Jets (35-14-3), who are 8-2-1 in their past 11 games. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.

The West has six teams with a chance to win the Stanley Cup north of 2.5 percent. These are each team’s signature strengths and fatal flaws.

The word “blockbuster” gets thrown around a little too often in today’s NHL, often for trades unworthy of the term, in the same way that anything might feel like a five-star meal to a starving man. But the deal that dropped on Friday night? That one deserves the title, no questions asked.

Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov will be out a minimum of four weeks after the surgery. Follow this tracker for the latest NHL news.