Avalanche beat Penguins for win No. 50, clinch playoff spot

The Colorado Avalanche clinched a playoff spot with the assistance of two objectives from Nathan MacKinnon in a 6-4 win towards the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday evening.

It is the fifth straight playoff berth for the Avs, who additionally turned the primary NHL crew to 50 wins this season and have ripped off 9 wins in 11 video games.

MacKinnon scored his twenty third and twenty fourth of the season, whereas J.T. Compher obtained his his 14th of the 12 months. Darren Helm, Josh Manson and Artturi Lehkonen additionally scored. Darcy Kuemper received his thirty third sport and stopped 41 pictures.

Bryan Rust, Evan Rodrigues, Jake Guentzel and Mike Matheson all scored for the Penguins, however they misplaced for the second time in as many video games towards Colorado. The Avalanche beat Pittsburgh 3-2 in Denver on Saturday. Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which has misplaced 5 of its final seven video games.

Pittsburgh and Colorado exchanged objectives within the first 5:30 of the sport. MacKinnon’s centering move hit Rust’s stick and went previous Jarry. Mikko Rantanen continued a six-game level streak with an help in his four-hundredth NHL sport (he has 400 profession factors).

Rust responded for Pittsburgh, and established a brand new career-high in factors, when he transformed a rebound behind Kuemper to tie the sport.

Colorado opened a 3-1 lead with a pair of second-period objectives scored 2:07 aside. Compher scored on a rebound within the slot and MacKinnon netted his second of the sport with a innocent trying wrist shot from the left level.

Rodrigues scored his first purpose in 11 video games at 17:43 of the second, as Pittsburgh trailed 3-2 coming into the third.

Colorado regained its multigoal lead for good simply 1:01 into the third when Manson’s level shot beat Jarry. Manson’s purpose was the 57th by a Colorado defenseman, probably the most by an NHL blueline because the 2007-2008 Chicago Blackhawks scored 59 objectives.

BEST IN THE LEAGUE

Colorado leads the league with 106 factors and recorded its third 50-win season in franchise historical past.

The Avalanche have a league-high 102 third-period objectives, and are 38-0-3 in video games the place they rating 4 or extra occasions.

Final month, the Avalanche turned the fourth NHL crew within the final 25 years to succeed in the 100-point mark in 67 video games or fewer, the quickest mark in franchise historical past.

Colorado’s 22-10-3 street file is tops within the Western Convention.

PENGUINS’ MILESTONES

Sidney Crosby stays three factors shy of 1,400 for his profession and is behind Jari Kurri for the Twenty second-most factors in NHL historical past. He is trying to change into the seventh-fastest participant to succeed in 1,400 profession factors.

Guentzel scored his 154th profession purpose, surpassing Joe Mullen for second-most objectives amongst American-born gamers in crew historical past, behind solely Kevin Stevens.

Jeff Carter assisted on Guentzel’s purpose, changing into the twentieth energetic participant with 800 NHL factors. Evgeni Malkin, who additionally assisted, is one helper shy of changing into the 57th participant in NHL historical past to file 700 assists.

FRIENDS AND FOES

MacKinnon obtained the higher of fine good friend and offseason exercise companion Sidney Crosby and his Penguins.

Each are from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and had been drafted No. 1 total, Crosby in 2005 and MacKinnon in 2013.

MISSING FIREPOWER

Already with out captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee surgical procedure) and main scorer Nazem Kadri (higher physique), the Avs had been ahead Valeri Nichushkin on Tuesday. Nichushkin, who was out with a non-COVID associated sickness, has 19 objectives and 40 factors in 51 video games.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Proceed a three-game journey Friday at Winnipeg.

Penguins: Journey to face the New York Rangers on Thursday.