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.

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.

Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started the winning play when he sent the puck to Vladislav Namestnikov,

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

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.

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!

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 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.