Avalanche Crush Penguins Behind Necas' Two Goals

Colorado extends winning streak to three games with dominant road victory

Mar. 25, 2026 at 8:10am

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The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 on Tuesday, led by two goals from Martin Necas. Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves for the Avalanche, who extended their winning streak to three games and points streak to four (3-0-1). Colorado leads the NHL with 104 points, including a league-best 53 road points. The loss dropped the Penguins to third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Why it matters

The Avalanche continue to assert their dominance atop the NHL standings, while the Penguins have struggled recently, going 1-2-1 in their last four games with 21 goals allowed. This game highlights the Avalanche's strong road performance and the Penguins' recent defensive woes.

The details

Martin Necas scored twice for the Avalanche, who also got goals from Nathan MacKinnon, Parker Kelly, Sam Malinski, and Ross Colton. Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves in the win. Igor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, who got 24 saves from Arturs Silovs. Colorado was perfect on the penalty kill, including killing off a four-minute Penguins power play in the second period.

  • The game was played on Tuesday, March 25, 2026.
  • MacKinnon scored his league-leading 46th goal in the first period.
  • Necas scored on the power play in the first period and added another goal in the second period.

The players

Martin Necas

A forward for the Colorado Avalanche who scored two goals in the game, extending his personal season highs in goals (34) and points (88) through 67 games played.

Scott Wedgewood

The goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche who made 30 saves to earn his 26th win of the season.

Nathan MacKinnon

A forward for the Colorado Avalanche who scored the team's first goal, his league-leading 46th of the season.

Igor Chinakhov

A forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins who scored one of the team's two goals in the game.

Rickard Rakell

A forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins who scored the team's second goal in the third period.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play our game and not get distracted by the standings. There is still a lot of hockey left to be played.”

— Jared Bednar, Head Coach, Colorado Avalanche

“We need to tighten up defensively and limit the high-quality chances against us. This was a tough loss, but we'll regroup and get back on track.”

— Mike Sullivan, Head Coach, Pittsburgh Penguins

What’s next

The Avalanche will look to extend their winning streak when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, March 27th. The Penguins will try to bounce back when they visit the New York Rangers on Saturday, March 30th.

The takeaway

The Avalanche continue to demonstrate their status as the NHL's elite team, dominating on the road against a top Eastern Conference opponent. Meanwhile, the Penguins' recent defensive struggles have them slipping in the Metropolitan Division standings, raising questions about their ability to maintain their playoff positioning down the stretch.