Avalanche 3, Jets 2
DENVER -- Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied in the final 13 minutes to beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Sunday.
Matt Duchene and Jan Hejda also scored for Colorado, which has won four straight and improved to a league-best 10-1.
Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler had a goal and assist each and Al Montoya made 33 saves for the Jets.
Colorado, in the midst of playing six of seven at home, added to the hottest start in franchise history. The Avalanche are 6-1 against the Eastern Conference and have yet to lose to a Western Conference team in winning 10 of their first 11 overall.
It looked like Montoya was going to deny them their 10th win after turning away six shots in the first three minutes of the third period. Colorado's pressure paid off when Hejda scored with the help of an Alex Tanguay screen at 7:13 of the period to make it 2-2.
Colorado kept the pressure on and Stastny scored the game winner with 5:28 left in the game.
The Jets, coming off their first overtime win of the season Friday in Dallas, showed no fatigue in the high altitude. Little quickly answered Duchene's goal midway through the first period to tie the game at 1-all.
Wheeler gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead three seconds after Corey Sarich's roughing minor expired. Wheeler skated down the right side and his hard shot trickled through goalie Semyon Varlamov's legs with 10:02 left in the second period.
It was his fourth goal of the season.
Varlamov had 24 saves.
Duchene continued his hot start to the season with his ninth goal of the season 8:04 into the game. Duchene, skating down the left side, one-timed Steve Downie's rebound from just outside the circle into the open net.
NOTES: Duchene's nine goals in October tied him with Joe Sakic and Chris Stewart for the most goals scored in the month of October since the team relocated from Quebec. Sakic did it in 1997, and Stewart had nine in 2010. ... The Jets played three overtime games in their first 13. They were 1-2 in extra time. ... Varlamov and fellow Avalanche G Jean-Sebastien Giguere came into Sunday's game with a combined 1.40 goals-against average, the top goalie tandem in the NHL. They also owned a league-best 95.8 save percentage. ... Winnipeg C Olli Jokinen played in his 1,100th career game Sunday.
