"We're not going to quit" - Nathan MacKinnon fires up his Avalanche teammates ahead of Jets Game 2

Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon stepped up with fiery determination ahead of Game 2 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

MacKinnon had some motivating words for his teammates while speaking to the media in the team's locker room.

"That's our job. The best part about being in a sport is we get to be resilient and we get to compete," MacKinnon said (via Kyle Fredrickson, the Avalanche beat writer). "And you know, we've all a bunch of guys in this room that love to compete, no matter the circumstances."

Regardless of the challenges they faced, Nathan MacKinnon's belief in the team's ability to compete shone through.

"No matter how the series plays out, we're not going to quit," MacKinnon added. "And that's definitely sign up any winning team is resilience. And when we won, we had a ton of that and I see a lot of the same traits in this team," MacKinnon said.

Nathan MacKinnon's Avalanche suffered a 7-6 loss to Jets in Game 1

In Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, the Jets secured a narrow 7-6 victory. Captain Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor were the standout performers for the Jets, each scoring two goals. Lowry's exceptional performance against top players like Nathan MacKinnon drew praise from Jets coach Rick Bowness and defenseman Brenden Dillon.

Despite MacKinnon's goal and assist for the Avalanche, the Jets managed to outscore them, with contributions from players like Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The game was marked by intense physicality, with 100 hits recorded, and Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves to secure the win.

Cale Makar stood out for the Avalanche with a goal and two assists, but defensive lapses proved costly for Colorado. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev faced 23 shots, stopping 16, but it wasn't enough to prevent the loss.

The game saw a high-scoring affair, with the first period ending in a 3-3 tie and both teams combining for four goals in under four minutes later. Lowry's second goal required review as the puck narrowly crossed the goal line, ultimately counting as a goal.

This playoff matchup marked the first meeting between the two teams in the NHL playoffs, with the Avalanche seeking to repeat their 2022 Stanley Cup championship run. Despite their efforts, mistakes proved costly for Colorado, leading to their defeat in Game 1.