Avalanche Rally Past Penguins 5-2 as T.J. Hughes Scores First NHL Goal

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche turned an early two-goal deficit into a statement victory, erupting for four consecutive goals before Nathan MacKinnon put the finishing touch on a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

T.J. Hughes scored his first career NHL goal, Artturi Lehkonen found the back of the net twice, and MacKinnon delivered a four-point performance with a goal and three assists as Colorado bounced back from a sluggish start to take control.

Martin Necas added two assists, Gabriel Landeskog scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 29 shots in an outstanding performance to help the Avalanche improve to 5-2-1. Lehkonen scored for the sixth time in eight games, continuing his strong start to the season, while Hughes celebrated a milestone moment in his NHL career.

Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh, but Colorado’s second-period surge flipped the game on its head before MacKinnon sealed the victory with a late power-play goal.

The Avalanche had an opportunity to establish themselves early but instead found themselves chasing the game after two defensive breakdowns in a span of just 29 seconds. Lehkonen briefly brought Colorado back within striking distance, but the team struggled to generate offense and leaned heavily on Blackwood to weather Pittsburgh’s early pressure.

The Colorado netminder got to work quickly, denying Penguins forward Nick Robertson on a backhand attempt from the low slot with a sharp glove save.

Around the 5:30 mark, Hughes appeared to slash Pittsburgh center Ben Kindel in front of an official, but no penalty was called. Blackwood continued to keep the Avalanche in the game roughly two and a half minutes later, flashing the leather again to deny Malkin after the Penguins forward wrapped around the net looking for a finish.

Despite Blackwood’s early heroics, Pittsburgh eventually broke through.

Malkin opened the scoring by putting on the brakes and catching Fedor Svechkov off guard, creating a shooting lane as Sam Malinski battled for position in front of the net. With Malinski screening Blackwood, the goaltender never got a clean look at the shot, and Malkin buried it to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Pittsburgh doubled its advantage just 29 seconds later. Josh Manson had ventured too far up in the defensive zone and lost his balance while trying to recover, allowing Sidney Crosby and Rust to turn the mistake into a two-on-one rush. Crosby fed Rust, who tapped the puck home to make it 2-0.

Colorado answered just over two minutes later. MacKinnon found Lehkonen at the back door, and the winger redirected the puck past Arturs Silovs for his fifth goal of the season. The goal cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1 and gave the Avalanche a much-needed spark.

With 5:49 remaining in the period, Tommy Novak was sent to the penalty box for high-sticking Devon Toews, giving Colorado’s power play an opportunity to respond under new assistant coach Brett McLean.

The man advantage, however, struggled to find its rhythm. Colorado had trouble establishing possession and surrendered several dangerous shorthanded chances, fortunate to escape without allowing another goal. Once Novak returned, Gavin Brindley was called for interference, sending the Avalanche back to the penalty kill.

Colorado successfully killed off the penalty, but the opening period remained a frustrating one. The Avalanche were outshot 14-5 and headed to the first intermission trailing 2-1. Lehkonen’s goal kept them within reach, but a stronger defensive effort and better puck management were needed to turn the game around.

Whatever Colorado lacked in the opening period, it made up for in a dominant second.

Lehkonen needed just 25 seconds to strike again, swatting a rebound past Silovs while Crosby tried to muscle him into the net. His second goal of the night tied the game at 2-2 and immediately shifted the momentum in Colorado’s favor.

The Avalanche kept coming.

Following a faceoff in the offensive zone, Nazem Kadri put a shot on goal that Silovs managed to stop, but the rebound trickled toward the back door. Landeskog was in the right place at the right time, cleaning up the loose puck to give Colorado its first lead of the night at 3-2. It was the captain’s third goal of the season.

Pittsburgh had a chance to respond with just under eight minutes remaining in the period when Landeskog was penalized for interference after knocking Spencer Stastney down following an offensive-zone faceoff.

The Penguins’ power play was short-lived, however, as Kindel was called for slashing. The penalties offset, sending the teams into four-on-four play.

Colorado took advantage.

With 5:03 remaining, MacKinnon set up Hughes for a tap-in from the low slot, giving the defenseman his first career NHL goal and extending the Avalanche’s lead to 4-2. The milestone capped a memorable stretch for Colorado, which had transformed a two-goal deficit into a two-goal advantage in less than two periods.

The Avalanche’s turnaround was reflected in the shot totals. After managing just five shots in the first, Colorado fired 17 in the second while limiting Pittsburgh to 10. Lehkonen’s second goal, Landeskog’s finish, and Hughes’ milestone tally gave the Avalanche a commanding position heading into the third.

Colorado entered the final period with a two-goal cushion and continued to rely on Blackwood to keep Pittsburgh at bay. The Penguins pushed to get back into the game, but the Avalanche goaltender delivered when called upon, building on an already impressive performance.

The decisive moment came with nearly two minutes remaining in regulation. Kris Letang was called for hooking Parker Kelly, giving Colorado a late power-play opportunity to put the game away.

MacKinnon made sure the Avalanche took full advantage.

The star forward unleashed a blistering one-timer to beat Silovs and make it 5-2, putting the finishing touch on a four-point night and eliminating any doubt about the outcome.

The goal also provided a fitting finish to McLean’s debut behind the bench as Colorado’s assistant coach. After a difficult opening period, the Avalanche found their rhythm, capitalized on their opportunities, and closed out a convincing three-goal victory.

Blackwood finished with 29 saves, while Silovs allowed five goals on 32 shots. Pittsburgh’s early advantage ultimately proved no match for Colorado’s offensive firepower and second-period response.

For Hughes, the night will be remembered for his first NHL goal. For Lehkonen, it was another productive outing in an impressive opening stretch. And for MacKinnon, it was a four-point performance that helped propel the Avalanche to another win.

The Avalanche (5-2-1) head to Philadelphia on Monday to take on the Flyers (0-6-3) at Xfinity Mobile Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time as Colorado looks to carry the momentum from its comeback victory into its next game.