Nathan MacKinnon has the inside track on his second-straight Hart Trophy winner. Here are four other names to watch in the NHL's MVP race.

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.

The Avalanche have not been able to score on Connor Hellebuyck this season until Wednesday night. Colorado got two past the Winnipeg Jets netminder but it wasn’t enough in the 3-2 overtime loss.

With the Western Conference’s best team in town, Wednesday presented a test for the streaky Avalanche. Colorado flunked. The Jets beat the Avs 3-2 in overtime at Ball Arena, using a pair of second-period goals followed by Neal Pionk’s game-winner 17 seconds into the extra frame to increase Winnipeg’s lead in the Central Division to nine points.

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.

Connor Hellebuyck will surely start getting some additional rest later in the season, so the race at the top right now is between Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon. This one comes down to games ...

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.

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.

Nathan MacKinnon is doing it again ... Vegas Golden Knights, 20 (one first-place vote); Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, 16 (one first-place vote); Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs, 12; Connor McDavid, Oilers, 6; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets ...

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is having an outstanding season and is deservedly right in the thick of the Hart Memorial Trophy race. Could he be the first netminder to be named the NHL’s most valuable player in a decade?

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.

NHL last night, including the Canadiens’ match in Dallas. The CH won their game against the Stars, but we also need to talk about what happened elsewhere across the league. It was a busy evening: That’s a wrap on a 13-game Thursday!