Kyle Connor’s one-timer with 1:36 remaining in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted the host Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 victory in Saturday’s opening game of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues.

Connor also contributed a pair of assists and captain Adam Lowry capped the victory with an empty-netter with 53 seconds left.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series is Monday at Canada Life Centre, which featured a loud “whiteout” full house of 15,225 fans.

Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Jaret Anderson-Dolan also scored for the Jets.

Connor Hellebuyck made 14 saves for Winnipeg, which won the Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best regular-season record (56-22-4).

Jordan Kyrou gave the Blues a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal early in the second period, but Winnipeg’s top-line winger Alex Iafallo tied it at 9:18 of the third.

Robert Thomas also had a power-play goal for St. Louis.

Avalanche 5, Stars 1: Nathan MacKinnon had a part in both of visiting Colorado’s strange goals in the second period before adding an empty-netter late as the Avalanche beat Dallas in the opener of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

MacKinnon scored on a shot that deflected off Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, and knuckled past goalie Jake Oettinger late in the second period. That came during an extended power play.

That came after MacKinnon’s assist midway through the second period on a goal by Artturi Lehkonen, who was following his initial shot and falling down after a collision in front of the net when the puck ricocheted off his lower left leg into the top corner of the net.

Devon Toews gave Colorado a 3-1 lead with 7:04 left. MacKinnon’s empty-net tally for his 50th career playoff goal came with 3:08 left, 11 seconds before Charlie Coyle scored.

Game 2 is Monday night in Dallas.

Roope Hintz scored the Stars’ goal with 13:15 left in the game to pull his team within 2-1.

Rangers fire Laviolette: The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday in the aftermath of missing the playoffs.

The move made by general manager Chris Drury came after the Rangers missed the playoffs, the result of a lost season during which they massively underachieved preseason expectations following a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year.