Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists to lead the host Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, while Gabriel Landeskog and T.J. Hughes added goals for the Avalanche, who played their third game in four nights. Martin Necas had three assists, Cale Makar added two and Mackenzie Blackwood made 29 saves.
Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust got the goals for the Penguins, who are 1-4-1 in their last six. Arturs Silovs made 27 saves.
Colorado scored three goals in the second period to go up 4-2.
Lehkonen’s second goal 25 seconds into the period tied it 2-2. He knocked down the rebound of MacKinnon’s shot off the goal post with his glove and scored from the crease.
Landeskog gave Colorado the lead for good at 4:24, slamming a Brock Nelson pass into the open side of the net. Hughes scored his first career NHL goal when he tipped in MacKinnon’s pass with 5:03 left in the period, four seconds after an Avalanche power play expired.
MacKinnon added a power-play goal on a one-timer from just above the left dot with 4:54 left to make it five straight goals for the Avalanche. He has 16 points (six goals and 10 assists) in eight games this season.
Silovs stopped MacKinnon’s penalty shot attempt 15 seconds before Landeskog’s goal.
Pittsburgh jumped ahead 2-0 with two goals 29 seconds apart in the first period.
Malkin scored as he cut across the slot after charging down the right wing, shot as he fell and beat Blackwood 8:28 into the game. Rust then tipped in Sidney Crosby’s pass on a 2-on-1 rush at 8:57.
Colorado got on the board with 8:59 left in the first on Lehkonen’s first goal. He tipped in a pass from MacKinnon off the rush.
New Avalanche assistant coach Brett McLean made his debut behind the bench after replacing Dave Hakstol, who departed to become the head coach at Arizona State.