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.

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.

The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets wrap up their season series on Wednesday night in Denver, and both teams are hoping to rebound from disappointing losses on Monday.

With the Western Conference’s best team in town, Wednesday presented a test for the streaky Avalanche. Colorado flunked.

Wednesday in the NHL features an enticing Central Division matchup, with the Winnipeg Jets heading to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche. Welcome to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day!

The Colorado Avalanche (28-19-1) close out their homestand against the Winnipeg Jets (31-14-3). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:38 p.m. MT. READ MORE: Bednar on Nichushkin: ‘We Don’t Have a Solid Timeline’ In the third straight game against top teams in the Central Division,

The Winnipeg Jets lead the NHL power rankings for the first time since November, but it's tight at the top. Plus, the blockbuster Rantanen trade has another big winner.

Winnipeg stands to both rebound and take advantage of a top-heavy Colorado lineup. My Jets vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks expect the road underdogs to bark loudest in tonight’s Central Division showdown.

The Colorado Avalanche are still feeling the impact of the Mikko Rantanen trade, losing their second straight since the deal went down.

Murat Ates of the Athletic: Ates writes now that Dylan Samberg is returning to the Winnipeg Jets lineup changes the way they put their pairs together. But it allows the restricted free agent to potentially get a nice long-term deal this summer where he could be a staple on this Jets defense corps moving forward.

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche play the Winnipeg Jets in a matchup of Central Division opponents. Colorado is 28-19-1 overall with a 7-8-0 record against the Central Division. The Avalanche have a +10 scoring differential, with 159 total goals scored and 149 conceded.

The opponent for the Jets this evening are an Avs team which are none too pleased with the 3-1 loss they suffered to the Wild on Monday. They’ve hit a bit of a rough patch going 5-4-1 in their last ten games.