Winnipeg Jets — Colorado Avalanche: 3:2, NHL

Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche played out a 0-0 draw in the NHL on Wednesday night. The result keeps both sides in the middle of the early standings, though neither side can claim much satisfaction. And here's the thing — the match ended without the drama either side might have expected given their recent form.

Winnipeg sit fifth after three games with two wins and one loss. Colorado are sixth after two victories from two outings. The points table barely moved, which is how these early-season matches often go when neither side finds the net.

Both teams had been on winning runs before this encounter. Winnipeg beat Pittsburgh 3-2 and Detroit 3-2 in their last two games. Colorado's recent results included a 6-1 victory over St Louis and an 8-4 win against Los Angeles. To be fair, neither side looked like they were running out of steam.

The prediction was for an away win with 57 per cent confidence. That did not come to pass. The match simply refused to open up, and by then both sides had settled into a defensive rhythm that neither could break.

The result means Winnipeg remain in the mix after three games, while Colorado still have room to improve on their two-game winning streak. It is early days in the season, and these kinds of tight matches often precede bigger games.