(Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)

Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals 3:42 apart early in the third period, Jack Drury also had a goal and the visiting Colorado Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Thursday night.

Artturi Lehkonen had an assist in his return from an 11-game absence with an upper-body injury and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 22 shots for Colorado (48-13-10, 106 points). The NHL-leading Avalanche have won four in a row and increased their Central Division lead to nine points over slumping Dallas with a game in hand.

The Stars lost their fourth in a row Thursday night.

Mark Scheifele scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves for Winnipeg (30-30-12, 72 points). The Jets trail Nashville by five points for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

The two teams play again Saturday night in Denver.

The game was tied 1-all after two periods, and Colorado started the third with seven seconds of a two-man advantage. Winnipeg killed off the first penalty but the Avalanche cashed in 13 seconds into the period.

Nazem Kadri's pass through the slot went off MacKinnon and dropped in the crease, and MacKinnon knocked it in before Hellebuyck could cover it.

MacKinnon made it 3-1 at 3:55 when he redirected Lehkonen's pass to the front of the net before Hellebuyck could glove it. It was MacKinnon's NHL-leading 48th goal of the season.

Scheifele cut the Jets' deficit in half with his second of the game at 9:39, his 34th. Scheifele has a career-high 88 points.

Winnipeg couldn't gain control of the puck in the final minutes to pull Hellebuyck for an extra skater.

The Jets struck midway through the first period when Colorado turned it over in its own end. Josh Morrisey gathered the loose puck, sent it to Kyle Connor, who skated into the slot. Connor fed it to Scheifele below the left dot, and his one-timer beat Blackwood high at 9:55.

The Avalanche got even later in the first period when Hellebuyck made the initial save on Sam Malinski's shot from the point, but Drury cleaned up the rebound and scored at 17:40.

--Field Level Media