Denver, CO
Mikko Rantanen scores twice, Avalanche grounds Jets in Game 5 to advance to second round
WINNIPEG — Mikko Rantanen found a stick he liked, and shot the Colorado Avalanche into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Winnipeg Jets played their best game of the series facing elimination, but the Avs continued to put pucks past the pending Vezina Trophy winner and advanced with a 6-3 victory Tuesday night in Game 5 at Canada Life Centre.
Colorado won four straight in this series after dropping Game 1, and will now awaits the winner of Dallas-Vegas in the second round.
“How hard we worked and how hard we battled this series was amazing,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “Before the series, I think we came in really humble. We weren’t playing well. These guys just beat us 7-0 (on April 13), so it was a big wake up call … super proud of the guys.”
A little more than two minutes after Tyler Toffoli had brought the Jets even early in the third period, Rantanen scored for the first time in this series to put Colorado in front. Rantanen had been so frustrated earlier in this game that he had snapped a stick in two pieces.
The new stick worked out. Rantanen tipped a shot from the top of the zone by Devon Toews past Connor Hellebuyck to put Colorado in front 4:11 into the third period.
Rantanen scored again to make it 5-3 on a one-timer from Nathan MacKinnon during a 2-on-1 with 11:59 remaining in the third. MacKinnon and Cale Makar finished with nine points in this series, while Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen had eight.
“Luck wasn’t really bouncing at times our way, but that’s what happens sometimes,” Rantanen said. “You get frustrated. I was going to try avoid doing that. Overall, the series was really, really good for us. I think we got better after every game.”
Colorado scored 24 times in five games on Hellebuyck, and four more into an empty net, the last from Josh Manson on Tuesday night. Winnipeg finished the regular season tied for the fewest goals allowed. The Avs scored the most, and great offense beat great defense repeatedly in this series.
Winnipeg finished with 110 points, three more than Colorado, to earn home-ice advantage in this series, but it’s another early playoff exit for the Jets and a question-filled offseason beckons in Southern Manitoba.
The Avs scored first, but into the wrong net. Kyle Connor’s shot trickled behind Alexandar Georgiev and when Manson tried to sweep it out of danger. It hit Lehkonen and the edge of the crease and caromed back into the Colorado net instead.
Colorado got that one back a little more than two minutes later. Right after the fourth line had a great shift, the top trio went to work. MacKinnon carried the puck into the zone, and Valeri Nichushkin finished a tic-tac-toe play from Rantanen and Toews to make it 1-1 just 3:18 in.
Yakov Trenin capped another strong shift from the fourth line with Colorado’s second goal 5:42 into the second period. Trenin fell in the neutral zone early in the shift, which earned a Bronx cheer from the crowd.
Then he worked over Neal Pionk behind the net for an initial shot and beat the defenseman to the rebound for his first goal of the series. Trenin cupped his ear to the suddenly silent crowd, then egged them on before jumping into the glass.
“All series long, (the fourth line’s) forechecking through the course of this series was outstanding,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “The work that they put in, to not only put pressure on their (defense), but to come up with pucks, the physicality. Playing to their identity as a line was outstanding and they got rewarded for their hard work.”
Just like the first period, the team that went down answered quickly. Miles Wood took a penalty trying to get past Colin Miller. Fourteen seconds later, Josh Morrissey scored his third goal of the series on a one-timer from above the right circle.
The hockey gods evened the fluke bounces out later in the second. Lehkonen sent the puck in the general direction of the Winnipeg net, but it was going well wide … until it hit Pionk’s stick and went in the net at 13:45 of the second.
It was Lehkonen’s fifth goal of the series. He and Nichushkin both scored in every game.
Georgiev finished with 33 saves. He allowed seven goals on 23 shots in the opening game of this series, but then proceeded to outplay Hellebuyck the rest of the way.
“(Georgiev) was outstanding all series,” Trenin said. “Very proud of how he came back and just shut up all the haters.”
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Denver PrideFest is back
Saturday-Sunday. Colorado’s biggest LGBTQ+ weekend returns June 28-29, with Denver Pride, a celebration that includes a massive festival, PrideFest at Civic Center park, a charitable 5K and of course the annual parade. That moves from East Colfax Avenue to 17th Avenue this year, stepping off at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at Franklin Street and continuing to Lincoln Street. Organizers at the nonprofit The Center on Colfax expect about 100,000 attendees.
At Civic Center park, tens of thousands more will sample local food and drink, visit vendors, support LGBTQ nonprofits, and dance and sing to entertainment from top DJs, drag queens and kings, including Pattie Gonia, Detox, Vanessa Vanjie, and CHIKA. Admission is free; visit denverpride.org for more information about the 5K and the parade. — John Wenzel
Buntport’s “Handlers”
Friday-Sunday. The sharp players at Buntport Theater brought back an audience favorite this month. “The Book Handlers,” which debuted in 2018, is a satirical comedy about anti-intellectualism, and takes its inspiration from an essay by Irish author Brian O’Nolan. In it, he proposes a service for wealthy people who buy fancy books, but never read them; the book handlers would come in to make the tomes look well-read, worn and even dog-eared.
The show has been running since June 13, and will close on Sunday, June 29. But in the meantime, you can catch one of the final three showings on Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., or on Sunday, at 2 p.m. The theater is located at 717 Lipan St. and there is a name-your-own-price option. Go to buntport.com for tickets and information. — Jonathan Shikes
Denver Dog Fair
Saturday. The National Western Complex on Saturday, June 28, will be filled not with cowboys and horses but a puppy kissing booth, “celebrity” dogs, a furry fashion show, and more as part of the Denver Dog Fair. After entertaining dogs and their humans — and adopting out 187 pups at last year’s event — the fair from Dana Cain Events returns with dog-related vendors, competitions, demos and more.
Admission: $20 for humans, with kids 5 and under free (a family four-pack goes for $72). Dog tickets cost $5 per pup. Free parking. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at the National Western Complex Expo Hall’s Stadium Arena, 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. Visit denverdogfair.com for more. — John Wenzel
See the sea lions
Open now. Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (formerly just Denver Zoo) this month unveiled a huge, beach-themed update to its popular sea lion habitat — one of the highest-visibility, most photographed and most popular parts of the 80-acre City Park institution.
The zoo’s California sea lions update replaces Northern Shores, “which started housing sea lions in 1987, and offers significant upgrades for the animals and guests, including a 16-foot viewing window that allows guests to observe the sea lions’ natural movements and behaviors underwater,” officials wrote. It also features new saltwater pools and filtration systems, further supporting the animals’ health.
Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 2300 Steele St. in Denver. Admission: $26 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $19 for ages 3-15, with kids under 2 free. Online timed ticket reservations are required for entry. Visit denverzoo.org for more information. — John Wenzel
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Originally Published:
The Denver Police Department is looking into planned “takeover” events after it said hundreds of teens gathered at a mall and started multiple fights.
According to the DPD, around 300 juveniles gathered in the area of the Northfield Mall around 6 p.m. Sunday before entering different businesses, physically fighting amongst themselves and causing disturbances. Officers said they dispersed the group, but some separated into smaller groups and began causing disturbances around Central Park Boulevard and 46th Street.
Authorities said there was no damage reported. Although two small items were reported stolen from one of the businesses, police said it’s unclear if that was related to this group. No arrests were made.
DPD said they’re aware of plans for similar “takeover” events and are making plans to minimize their impact. They encouraged anyone with information on the events to contact them at (720) 913-2000 or, in the case of an emergency, call 911.
DENVER — After months of negotiations, including a marathon 18-hour session that ended Tuesday morning, Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the union that represents more than 4,000 educators reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.
The agreement came with the help of mediators, after the school district declared an impasse in negotiations in May.
If approved, the contract will provide Denver teachers with a $1,000 annual cost-of-living increase, a one-time $1,000 bonus for the current year, and additional percentage raises based on experience and education.
One of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association’s (DCTA) goals was to raise the starting salary for teachers. New DPS teachers will now earn $57,666, still below what several neighboring districts pay new teachers. The top salary for experienced DPS educators with their doctorate in the 2025-2026 school year will be $124,233.
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Check out the graph below to view starting salaries for teachers around the Denver metro in 2025
The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding that if DPS seeks a mill levy override from voters in 2025 or 2026, then teacher pay will be discussed as a potential use for that money.
Jennifer Holtzmann, a special education teacher who attended the bargaining sessions, said while pay is still a concern for all Colorado teachers, she was encouraged by other provisions in the agreement surrounding class sizes and workloads. The agreement also includes language that will allow teachers to use time off for mental health.
“Just the acknowledgment that teachers experience burnout and might just need to take a day or half day, even,” Holtzmann said.
DPS agreed to work towards reducing elementary school class sizes, setting a cap of no more than 30 students in K-5 classrooms starting in 2026, down from the current cap of 35.
DCTA President Rob Gould said the union will post specific details on the contract “wins” in the coming days so that teachers are ready to vote on it when they return to work in August. He said the salary increases will cost the district approximately $24 million in the first year and $18 million in years two and three.
DPS issued a news release on the tentative agreement, with a statement from DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero.
“We are proud to have reached what we feel is a fair and forward-looking agreement that honors the critical work our teachers do every day,” Marrero said.
If the agreement is ratified by both the DCTA and the DPS Board of Education, it will go into effect beginning September 1, 2025, and remain in place through August 31, 2028.
Denver Public Schools, teachers union reach tentative agreement on contract
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