Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche
NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Colorado Avalanche on Mar 16, 2026. Final score: Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Colorado Avalanche 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 16, 2026 |
| Venue | Ball Arena |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 7 |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Erik Karlsson | D | 1 | 2 | 4 | 21:44 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| 2nd | Evgeni Malkin | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16:18 | 0.19 | 1.84 |
| 3rd | Noel Acciari | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:36 | 0.35 | 1.59 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Pittsburgh Penguins–Colorado Avalanche) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 03:01 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin | Bryan Rust, Noel Acciari | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 04:08 | COL | Nathan MacKinnon | Martin Necas, Cale Makar | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 04:23 | PIT | Anthony Mantha | Erik Karlsson | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 1st 13:00 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin | Yegor Chinakhov, Parker Wotherspoon | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 1st 13:43 | PIT | Elmer Soderblom | Connor Dewar, Erik Karlsson | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 1st 14:21 | COL | Brent Burns | Gavin Brindley, Josh Manson | 5v5 | 4–2 |
| 2nd 10:36 | PIT | Erik Karlsson | Ryan Shea | 5v5 | 5–2 |
| 2nd 16:20 | PIT | Bryan Rust | Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell | 4v5 | 6–2 |
| 3rd 09:06 | PIT | Noel Acciari | Elmer Soderblom, Connor Dewar | 5v5 | 7–2 |
Team Comparison
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Colorado Avalanche | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 7 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 20 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.17 | 3.70 |
| High-danger shots | 11 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 37.0% | 63.0% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 0/5 |
| Faceoff % | 49.1% | 50.9% |
| Hits | 19 | 11 |
| Blocks | 19 | 12 |
| Giveaways | 18 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | D | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 21:44 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 16:18 | 0.19 | 1.84 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:36 | 0.35 | 1.59 |
| Elmer Soderblom | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10:00 | 0.17 | 1.49 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16:12 | 0.14 | 1.33 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17:05 | 0.17 | 1.29 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:23 | 0.35 | 0.74 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:09 | 0.09 | 0.74 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:48 | 0.06 | 0.64 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:39 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:57 | 0.12 | 0.55 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:52 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:29 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:57 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Ilya Solovyov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:21 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:14 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:07 | 0.02 | -0.08 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:09 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:39 | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| Brent Burns | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15:18 | 0.34 | 0.75 |
| Cale Makar | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 21:31 | 0.17 | 0.74 |
| Gavin Brindley | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:20 | 0.08 | 0.69 |
| Martin Necas | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24:08 | 0.30 | 0.64 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:43 | 0.07 | 0.64 |
| Devon Toews | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:35 | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:18 | 0.30 | 0.05 |
| Joel Kiviranta | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:03 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Sam Malinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:00 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:45 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nick Blankenburg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:16 | 0.96 | 0.00 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:45 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:38 | 0.21 | 0.00 |
| Zakhar Bardakov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:10 | 0.26 | -0.05 |
| Nicolas Roy | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:28 | 0.39 | -0.20 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:31 | 0.03 | -0.48 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 25 | 27 | 92.6% | -0.77 | W |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | Colorado Avalanche | 11 | 15 | 73.3% | -1.96 | |
| Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | 2 | 5 | 40.0% | -1.12 | L |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Colorado Avalanche 7–2 on Mar 16, 2026, a decisive 5-goal win.
Colorado Avalanche generated 3.7 expected goals to Pittsburgh Penguins's 2.17 — Colorado Avalanche owned the better of the chances but Pittsburgh Penguins took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Erik Karlsson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.03 on 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 shots on goal.
Arturs Silovs stopped 25 of 27, worth -0.77 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche game?
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Colorado Avalanche 7–2 on Mar 16, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Colorado Avalanche 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Erik Karlsson led all skaters at 2.03, on 1G, 2A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Colorado Avalanche generated 3.7 expected goals and Pittsburgh Penguins generated 2.17, so Colorado Avalanche created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Pittsburgh Penguins put 20 shots on goal and Colorado Avalanche put 27. High-danger chances went 11 to 18.
How did the goaltenders play?
Arturs Silovs stopped 25 of 27 (-0.77 goals saved above expected); Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 11 of 15 (-1.96 goals saved above expected).