Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar 24, 2026. Final score: Colorado Avalanche 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 24, 2026 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins 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 | Sam Malinski | D | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:29 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| 2nd | Martin Necas | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16:20 | 0.42 | 1.70 |
| 3rd | Devon Toews | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:29 | 0.03 | 1.46 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Colorado Avalanche–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:57 | COL | Nathan MacKinnon | — | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 08:09 | PIT | Yegor Chinakhov | Samuel Girard, Kris Letang | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 15:24 | COL | Sam Malinski | — | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 1st 16:44 | COL | Martin Necas | Cale Makar, Brock Nelson | 4v5 | 3–1 |
| 1st 17:19 | COL | Parker Kelly | Logan O'Connor, Nazem Kadri | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 2nd 17:29 | COL | Martin Necas | Devon Toews, Sam Malinski | 5v5 | 5–1 |
| 3rd 11:47 | PIT | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust | 5v5 | 5–2 |
| 3rd 16:20 | COL | Ross Colton | Valeri Nichushkin, Jack Drury | 6v5 | 6–2 |
Team Comparison
| Colorado Avalanche | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 6 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 30 | 32 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.17 | 3.34 |
| High-danger shots | 5 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 43.3% | 56.7% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 51.5% | 48.5% |
| Hits | 14 | 16 |
| Blocks | 20 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 23 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 6 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Malinski | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17:29 | 0.08 | 2.03 |
| Martin Necas | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16:20 | 0.42 | 1.70 |
| Devon Toews | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:29 | 0.03 | 1.46 |
| Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:50 | 0.04 | 1.12 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:12 | 0.09 | 1.03 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13:21 | 0.06 | 0.99 |
| Logan O'Connor | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:05 | 0.00 | 0.97 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:03 | 0.44 | 0.92 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.10 | 0.83 |
| Ross Colton | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11:50 | 0.28 | 0.78 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:06 | 0.03 | 0.52 |
| Cale Makar | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:04 | 0.05 | 0.39 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:29 | 0.05 | 0.25 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:27 | 0.07 | 0.08 |
| Brent Burns | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:28 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Joel Kiviranta | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:15 | 0.00 | -0.02 |
| Zakhar Bardakov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:41 | 0.12 | -0.11 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:53 | 0.07 | -0.36 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Girard | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:11 | 0.01 | 0.83 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15:30 | 0.34 | 0.74 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:16 | 0.04 | 0.55 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:04 | 0.00 | 0.43 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:48 | 0.09 | 0.36 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:40 | 0.46 | 0.36 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:20 | 0.18 | 0.33 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:53 | 0.19 | 0.26 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 21:11 | 0.50 | 0.20 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:08 | 0.29 | 0.16 |
| Elmer Soderblom | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:47 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:40 | 0.41 | 0.07 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:56 | 0.18 | 0.06 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:58 | 0.00 | -0.02 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:53 | 0.02 | -0.16 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:51 | 0.00 | -0.26 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:36 | 0.05 | -0.40 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:23 | 0.09 | -0.61 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | 30 | 32 | 93.8% | 0.90 | W |
| Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 29 | 82.8% | -3.26 | L |
Analysis
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6–2 on Mar 24, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 3.34 expected goals to Colorado Avalanche's 2.17 — Pittsburgh Penguins owned the better of the chances but Colorado Avalanche took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Sam Malinski led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.03 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Scott Wedgewood stopped 30 of 32, worth 0.9 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Colorado Avalanche vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6–2 on Mar 24, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Colorado Avalanche 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Sam Malinski led all skaters at 2.03, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 3.34 expected goals and Colorado Avalanche generated 2.17, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Colorado Avalanche put 30 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 32. High-danger chances went 5 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Scott Wedgewood stopped 30 of 32 (0.9 goals saved above expected); Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 (-3.26 goals saved above expected).