Nathan MacKinnon's four-point game helps Avalanche come back against Sidney Crosby, Penguins

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Oct 16, 2026

Published in Hockey

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DENVER — Artturi Lehkonen’s contract year is off to a profitable start.

Lehkonen scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists and the Colorado Avalanche shrugged off a shaky start Friday night to defeat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2, at Ball Arena.

After one of the worst periods of the young season to start this contest, Colorado responded with a dominant middle frame.

The Avs scored three times and put 18 shots on Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs in the second. Lehkonen scored his second of the night to tie it 2-2 on the first shift of the period.

MacKinnon’s shot popped up in the air near the blue paint. Lehkonen grabbed it out of the air, dropped it in the crease near Silvos’ feet and then nudged it across the line. He celebrated a very Lehkonen-like goal by being smushed into the crossbar by Crosby.

That’s six goals in eight games to start the season for Lehkonen, who is an unrestricted free agent at year’s end.

MacKinnon earned a penalty shot at 4:09 of the second, but couldn’t solve Silvos. Captain Gabe Landeskog pushed the Avs in front on the next shift. The rebound of a Nazem Kadri shot came to Brock Nelson in the slot, and he slipped it over to Landeskog at the right post for a tap-in with the goaltender down and out at 4:24 of the second.

T.J. Hughes scored his first career NHL goal at 14:57 of the second. It came four seconds after a Penguins penalty ended, so it won’t count officially as a power-play goal in new assistant coach Brett McLean’s first game with the club. But MacKinnon drove towards the net from the left flank and backhanded a pass to Hughes at the edge of the crease for a 4-2 lead and then a customary water-bottle shower to commemorate it from Landeskog as the rookie skated by the bench.

MacKinnon made it 5-2 in the third period with the first power-play goal of the McLean era. He blistered a one-timer from the left circle while stumbling to the ice after a pass from Cale Makar, who had a pair of assists.

The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals on back-to-back shifts.

Evgeni Malkin collected a slick pass from Ville Koivunen in the neutral zone, then cut back to the inside of the ice and scored while falling down at 8:28 of the first period. Then old friend Samuel Girard ignited a 2-on-1 for the Penguins, which led to Bryan Rust collecting a lay-up from Crosby just 29 seconds after the Malkin goal.

Pittsburgh continued to surge and had 10 straight shots on goal at one point. But MacKinnon got the comeback started by blowing by a Penguins defenseman on the rush and setting up Lehkonen at the top of the crease for his first of the night at 11:01.

Mackenzie Blackwood, making his sixth start in eight games, had his second straight strong outing. He made 29 saves, including several big ones, as the Avs’ work without the puck was not up to their standard in the early going.