MacKinnon scores NHL-leading 46th goal as Avalanche cruise past wobbling Penguins 6-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Martin Necas scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon poured in his NHL-leading 46th goal and the Colorado Avalanche breezed past the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Necas, Sam Malinski and Parker Kelly scored within a 1:55 span late in the first period to break it open as the Avalanche atoned for one-sided loss to the Penguins last week in Denver by returning the favor in Pittsburgh. Cale Makar picked up the assist on Necas’ first goal, boosting his career point total to 499. Ross Colton scored an empty-netter late.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 shots for the NHL-leading Avalanche, who have won the first three games of a four-game road swing that finishes up in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Egor Chinakov and Rickard Rakell scored for Pittsburgh. Kris Letang picked up the secondary assist on Chinakov’s career-high 17th goal of the season, becoming the 21st defenseman in league history to reach 800 career points.

Arturs Silovs struggled to contain Colorado early and finished with 23 saves for the Penguins, who have dropped three of four to lose a bit of ground in the crowded scramble for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Pittsburgh played without veteran forward Evgeni Malkin, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 39-year-old Russian star powered the Penguins’ dominant performance in Colorado last week, scoring twice in his return from a five-game suspension.

The only fireworks this time around were provided by the Avalanche. MacKinnon set the tone early, stealing the puck from Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and then racing in alone on Silovs before flicking a shot over the goaltender’s glove to give Colorado the lead 4:57 into the first.

Chinakov tied it just over three minutes later when his one-timer from the slot pushed his goal total since being acquired by Pittsburgh to 14.

It didn’t last. The Avalanche erupted late in the period to take a three-goal lead, and the Penguins never recovered. Pittsburgh appeared to get back in it in the middle of the second period, but Justin Brazeau’s goal from his belly was overturned on a Colorado challenge after officials ruled Brazeau interfered with Wedgewood.