DENVER — A sparkling first period and a 2-0 Pittsburgh Penguins lead quickly became another mistake-plagued game against a faster, better opponent as the Colorado Avalanche scored five unanswered goals.
Colorado flexed, and the Penguins buckled in Colorado’s 5-2 win at Ball Arena.
The first period was the best of the Penguins. For the first time since perhaps the first game of the season, the Penguins were connected on all four lines. They outshot Colorado 14-5 and had clearly had the greater quantity of chances and good quality, too.
The Penguins struck twice in 29 seconds midway through the first period as Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored pretty goals, and Ben Kindel had a pair of chances for a third goal on the following shift, but Colorado soon reclaimed control of the game.
Artturi Lehkonen scored a pair of goals, including the tying goal 25 seconds into the second period. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog was uncovered for an uncontested tap-in tally, and forward T.J. Hughes scored his first NHL goal as Colorado ended the second period with a 4-2 lead.
Colorado outshot the Penguins 17-10 in the second period as they pulled away.
Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs was sharp, including stopping Nathan MacKinnon on a penalty shot. He stopped 27 of 32 before being pulled with 4:43 remaining but was reinserted against a late Colorado power play. MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 29 of 31.
The Penguins power play again struggled, registering zero shots in the first two-man advantages, and they finished 0-for-3. They are now scoreless in their last 19 chances.
One positive note for the Penguins was yet another milestone for captain Sidney Crosby. With his first-period assist, Crosby passed Joe Thornton for seventh-most assists all time (1110).
Goal Recap
1-0 Penguins: The Penguins’ momentum continued for a couple of minutes before their Globetrotter DNA reappeared. Defenseman Erik Karlsson made a no-look spinning pass from behind the Penguins’ blue line ahead to Ville Koivunen, who attracted the defender as he made a quick touch pass to a racing Evgeni Malkin. Malkin (4) stormed the offensive zone, pulled a vintage outside-in move to the slot, and whipped a wrist shot past Blackwood at 8:28 of the first period.
2-0: Just 29 seconds later, the Penguins’ attack continued. Colorado forward Martin Necas tried to close off Sam Girard from skating out of the defensive zone. Instead, Girard slid a pass to Bryan Rust, and the Penguins’ transition game raced ahead for a two-on-one. From the left wing, Crosby snapped a pass to an uncovered Rust (3) driving to the net for a quick tap-in goal at 8:57.
2-1: The Penguins’ fourth line dominated a shift, but was burned when Elmer Soderblom’s lengthy puck possession ended in a turnover on the mid-wall. The Penguins’ defensemen were both beaten as Nathan MacKinnon raced around Declan Carlile, and Karlsson’s hesitation at the offensive blue line allowed Artturi Lehkonen (5) to beat him to the net to complete what became a late two-on-none at 11:01 of the first.
2-2: Penguins winger Rickard Rakell’s chip-in was intercepted at the blue line, and Colorado counterattacked. Colorado pushed the puck low in the Penguins zone, but defenseman Kaedan Korczak misplayed it, allowing Lehkonen to steal the puck behind the Penguins’ goal and step in front to poke it past Silovs just 25 seconds into the second period.
3-2 Colorado: As Colorado pressured, the Penguins faltered. As three Penguins jumped to cover Brock Nelson in the slot, he slid a pass to an uncovered Gabriel Landeskog at the side of the net for an easy goal at 4:24.
4-2: The Penguins defenseman was on the ice for three Colorado goals. He didn’t collapse toward the cage, and T.J. Hughes (1) scored just moments after a Colorado power play expired at 14:57.
5-2: A power play goal. A wicked Nathan MacKinnon one-timer from the left circle at 15:06 of the third.
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