Finally, the final game of this five-game road trip was a meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After winning their weekend in a row, the Colorado Avalanche were hoping to end their journey on a high note with another win. And that happened just as the stars shone brightly in this 6-2 Avalanche win.

The game

It didn’t take long for Nathan MacKinnon to set the tone at 6:31, getting the visitors on the board with a patented individual attack. It was one of those elusive quick starts the Avalanche needed.

The second result of the period was just as nice for a different reason, as all three – Artturi Lehkonen, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen – combined to produce a great record and show world-class skills. Rantanen finished the game 18:22, scoring his 16th goal of the season. The Avalanche had a successful first third with a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Mikko was feeling good, so he decided to score another highlight goal early in the second period. Rantanen wiped off the patented one-timer and scored his 17th goal of the season at 5:46.

It wasn’t a complete bust for Colorado as the tide began to turn and Cody Glass responded shortly after with his first goal of the season for Pittsburgh at 7:21. Then there was a penalty save in which neither team scored. However, with just over a minute left in the period, the Penguins got another shot on net when Michael Bunting took advantage of some defensive issues to bring Pittsburgh within 1-0 after 40 minutes of play.

If there had been any tension heading into the second intermission, it quickly dissipated when Val Nichushkin executed his own highlight-reel solo power move goal to put the Avalanche back comfortably ahead at 3:21.

Artturi Lehkonen extended the lead at 12:21 with his own goal at the front of the net and Colorado took complete control of the game. Mikko Rantanen added an empty-net goal for good measure, giving him his third hat trick of the season and a 6-2 win in the Avalanche finals.

Takeaways

Colorado’s top team was on the ice for nearly every score in this game, showcasing both their talent and finishing ability, as well as some of the defensive issues that can plague them. Still, it was an outstanding night as MacKinnon and Rantanen each scored five points in the win.

Presumably the Avalanche actively chose to keep Ivan Ivan in their recent flurry of transactions. In this contest, he played almost 12 minutes on the power play. A larger role will be crucial for him as the team gets healthier. Playing more than his fourth-line counterparts Chris Wagner and newcomer Givani Smith is a good move, but the situation remains worth watching.

Soon

The first of two short home games against the Utah Hockey Club at 7:00 p.m. MT on Thursday, December 14th.