PITTSBURGH — Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals on three shots and the Avalanche never trailed in a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
NHL-leading Colorado, which built leads of 3-1 and 5-2 before allowing two late goals, became the first team to reach 50 wins — doing so for just the third time in club history. And the Avs kicked off a three-game trip by sweeping the two-game season series against the Pens, who fell 3-2 on Saturday at Ball Arena.
J.T. Compher, Josh Manson, Darren Helm and Artturi Lehkonen (empty net) also scored for the Avs, who welcomed rookie defenseman Bo Byram back to the lineup after nearly three months on paid personal leave.