Jonathan Toews loses his cool during Winnipeg Jets practice

The Winnipeg Jets embark on a short road trip on Friday with a tough challenge in store against the Colorado Avalanche.

Scoring has been a problem for the Jets of late, but they have managed to find a way to stay in games thanks to some exceptional goaltending by Connor Hellebuyck.

The top-seeded team, Colorado, has lost just two games in regulation in its first 33 contests. This is a crucial game with a four-point swing available to the winner.

The Jets, however, are going to have to have some more scoring punch to compete against the best team defense in the league, led by the Avalanche.

Winnipeg is expected to roll out the same line pair that took down the Washington Capitals last Saturday.

The past week saw a drop in their scoring, with only two goals scored against Columbus and Nashville. The issue of scoring from depth players continues to haunt some forwards.

Tempers appeared to fray at practice on Friday when Jonathan Toews took his stick and smashed it into the glass following a power play drill.

Toews has just 1 assist in 17 games and joins a struggling list that includes Vladislav Namestnikov with one assist in 22 games, Nino Niederreiter with zero points in nine games, and Gustav Nyquist with zero goals in 24 games on the second power play unit for the Jets.

If Winnipeg can manage an early lead on Friday, then Colorado might find itself on the back foot, and that could provide opportunities on the defensive side.

The Jets are expected to count on their leading winger Gabe Vilardi, who has accumulated 14 points in his last 12 games and has consistently performed well against the Avalanche.