HC Scott Arniel criticized himself and his players for their lacklustre effort against Utah HC on Monday. The Jets responded well against an excellent Avalanche team. Connor Hellebuyck turned away 25 of the 27 shots he faced, and MacKenzie Blackwood allowed three goals on 25 Jets shots.

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

Linesman Jonny Murray was helped off the ice in the second period after taking a hit to the right leg from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews, and he missed most of the remainder of the game.

BOTTOM LINE: The Winnipeg Jets host the Utah Hockey Club after the Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime. Winnipeg has gone 32-14-3 overall with a 13-5-0 record against the Central Division. The Jets are first in NHL play with 170 total goals (averaging 3.5 per game).

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.

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 Bruins have fought the injury bug while battling to remain among the NHL’s playoff contenders with under three months remaining in the regular season.

The Colorado Avalanche (28-19-2) are heading to TD Garden to take on the Boston Bruins (24-20-6) in a matinee matchup on Saturday.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche take on the Winnipeg Jets for the second time in two weeks. Coverage of the game begins at 7 p.m. on KTVD Channel 20. The last time these two teams saw each other was on Jan. 11. Winnipeg's goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, made 22 saves against the Avs in a 3-0 shutout. Colorado has gone 2-2 since then.

Game Preview, 1/24: Utah Hockey Club vs. Winnipeg Jets WHEN: 6:00 p.m. MT WHERE: Canada Life Centre - Winnipeg, Manitoba TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App

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.