The Avalanche score five unanswered goals to secure a home victory and extend their strong start to the 2026-27 NHL season.
The Colorado Avalanche overcame an early two-goal deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Friday, October 16, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver. Nathan MacKinnon delivered a goal and three assists, Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, and Gabriel Landeskog and T.J. Hughes added goals as Colorado responded to Pittsburgh's fast start with a decisive offensive performance.
Penguins Establish an Early Lead
Pittsburgh opened the scoring at 8:28 of the first period. Evgeni Malkin recorded his fourth goal of the season, with Ville Koivunen and Erik Karlsson earning assists. Malkin's goal gave the Penguins a 1-0 advantage.
The visitors doubled their lead just 29 seconds later. Bryan Rust scored at 8:57, finishing a play assisted by Sidney Crosby and Samuel Girard. The quick sequence put Pittsburgh ahead 2-0 and gave the Penguins an early advantage.
Colorado responded at 11:01 when Lehkonen scored his first goal of the night. MacKinnon and Martin Necas collected assists, cutting Pittsburgh's lead to 2-1. The goal gave the Avalanche a foothold in the contest after Pittsburgh's quick start. Colorado entered the first intermission trailing by one, but the deficit was considerably smaller than it had been moments earlier.
Lehkonen Helps Turn the Game Around
Colorado needed only 25 seconds of the second period to equalize. Lehkonen scored his second goal of the game, with MacKinnon and Necas again recording assists. The goal tied the score at 2-2 and completed Lehkonen's two-goal performance.
The equalizer was followed by Colorado's go-ahead goal at 4:24. Landeskog finished a play assisted by Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri, giving the Avalanche a 3-2 lead.
Colorado continued to build its advantage as the period progressed. At 14:57, Hughes scored his first NHL goal, extending the lead to 4-2. MacKinnon and Cale Makar received assists on the play. Hughes' milestone came four seconds after a Colorado power play expired, making the goal an even-strength tally rather than a power-play goal. His finish gave the Avalanche a two-goal cushion heading into the third period.
Colorado's three second-period goals transformed the game. Pittsburgh had entered the period with a 2-1 lead, but the Avalanche scored three unanswered times to move in front 4-2.
MacKinnon Seals the Victory
Pittsburgh had the final period to try to close the gap, but Colorado maintained its advantage. MacKinnon scored at 15:06 on the power play, with Makar and Necas earning assists. The goal made it 5-2 and completed Colorado's scoring run.
MacKinnon's four-point performance was central to the victory. He assisted on both of Lehkonen's goals and Hughes' first NHL goal before adding a goal of his own. His production helped Colorado turn a two-goal deficit into a three-goal victory.
Earlier in the second period, Silovs stopped MacKinnon's penalty-shot attempt at 4:09. The save kept the score tied at that moment, but Colorado subsequently took the lead through Landeskog and extended it through Hughes.
Necas finished with three assists, while Makar recorded two. Lehkonen's two goals and the contributions from Landeskog and Hughes gave Colorado several sources of offense throughout the comeback.
Goaltending and Team Statistics
Colorado recorded 32 shots on goal, narrowly surpassing Pittsburgh's 31. Blackwood made 29 saves, while Silovs finished with 27.
The Avalanche also controlled the faceoff circle, winning 59.6% of draws compared with Pittsburgh's 40.4%. The Penguins recorded 14 hits, while Colorado finished with 12. Pittsburgh accumulated eight penalty minutes, compared with six for the Avalanche.
Colorado's power play finished 1-for-4, while its penalty kill went 3-for-3. Those special-teams figures included MacKinnon's third-period power-play goal and Colorado's successful penalty killing throughout the game.
The shot totals show that both teams generated opportunities, but Colorado capitalized on its chances during the second period and protected its advantage through the final frame. The Avalanche's five consecutive goals proved decisive after Pittsburgh's early scoring burst.
Pittsburgh's opening-period goals from Malkin and Rust gave the Penguins a promising start, but Colorado steadily reversed the momentum. Lehkonen's two goals brought the Avalanche level, Landeskog provided the go-ahead marker, Hughes celebrated his first NHL goal, and MacKinnon finished the scoring with a power-play goal.
The result improved Colorado's record to 5-2-1 and left Pittsburgh at 3-4-1. In front of 18,111 spectators at Ball Arena, the Avalanche turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 victory.
MacKinnon's four-point night and Lehkonen's two-goal performance led the way, while Colorado's second-period surge proved to be the difference. After conceding twice in the opening period, the Avalanche scored five unanswered goals and finished the contest with a convincing three-goal margin.
