COLORADO AVALANCHE (45-20-5) VS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (30-30-9)
12:00 PM MDT | BALL ARENA | WATCH: TNT | LISTEN: 92.5 FM
Colorado will conclude its season-series against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins this Sunday at Ball Arena. The Avalanche enter today with eight consecutive wins, outscoring their opponents 37-14. The Penguins have had seven consecutive road losses and are 3-6-1 in their last 10.
Latest Results:
March 22, 2024 COL: 6 CBJ: 1
March 22, 2024 DAL: 4 PIT: 2
BEATING THE BLUE JACKETS
On Friday night at Ball Arena, Colorado defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1, securing a win in its first of two encounters with the team this season. Twelve different Avalanche players found the scoresheet. Colorado is currently tied with the Dallas Stars for the lead in the Central Division with 95 points and have a game in hand. The Avalanche recorded 51 shots on goal, while allowing 24 from the Blue Jackets. The 51 shots are the third-highest registered by Colorado in a single game this season. Mikko Rantanen led the way with three points (2g/1a), while Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each chipped in a goal and an assist.
AVS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Nathan MacKinnon extended his season-opening home point streak to 33 games with a goal and assist against Columbus. This places him alongside Wayne Gretzky (33 GP; 11/3/85 - 4/2/86) for the second-longest home point streak regardless of start date in NHL history.
The centerman has found the scoresheet in the last 17 games, marking the second time in his career he has reached a streak of that length. His current run is the sixth longest in franchise history.
Cale Makar picked up a goal against the Blue Jackets to extend his point streak to five games (1g/6a). The tally was his 18th of the campaign, tying him for the league-lead among defensemen. He also recorded his 59th assist of 2023-24, setting a new career-high.
Mikko Rantanen scored his 38th and 39th goals of 2023-24 on Friday. He ranks among NHL leaders in points (6th), assists (T-6th) and goals (9th). He has collected 19 points (8g/11a) in the month of March, sharing the NHL-lead with MacKinnon for the most in that span.
HISTORY
The Avalanche/Nordiques own an all-time record of 44-38-7-6 versus the Penguins. On home ice, the franchise has a 23-17-2-3 tally against them. This upcoming game marks the teams' final meeting of the season, with Pittsburgh having won the previous encounter on Oct. 26, 2023. The Avalanche are 3-1-1 in their last five meetings with the Penguins at Ball Arena, scoring 18 to their 16 during that stretch.
DEFEAT IN DALLAS
On Friday, the contest between Pittsburgh and the Dallas Stars concluded with a 4-2 victory for Dallas. Michael Bunting initiated the scoring in the first period, which was matched by Joe Pavelski, evening the score 1-1. Jamie Benn was the sole goal-scorer in the second frame with two consecutive goals, giving Dallas the lead. Sam Steel extended that lead in the third period, marking the Stars’ fourth straight goal. Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell made a late effort with a goal of his own, but the Penguins couldn't overcome the deficit and were defeated by Dallas.
STATS TO KNOW
Jonathan Drouin has registered 17 points (8g/9a) in 20 appearances against the Penguins in his career.
Nathan MacKinnon has recorded 13 points (6g/7a) in his last ten games versus the Penguins.
Zach Parise has played against Pittsburgh in 61 games in his career. This is his second-most encountered team of all-time.
PITTSBURGH’S PROGRESS
Sidney Crosby has accumulated the twelfth-most points in NHL history, with 1,571 (583g/988a) in 1,258 games in his career.
The centerman leads the Penguins in goals and points, picking up 69 (33g/36a) in 68 games this season.
2023-24 marks the 18th season that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have played together, the longest-tenured trio of teammates in major North American professional sports history.
Erik Karlsson has registered 38 assists to lead his team this campaign.
NUMBERS GAME
119
MacKinnon has recorded 119 points (43g/76a) this campaign, the second-most an Avalanche player has ever recorded in a season since the franchise relocated.
15
On Friday, Ross Colton found the back of the net for the 15th time since joining the Avalanche, one goal short of his tally from the previous season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
31
Jonathan Drouin picked up his 30th and 31st assist on Friday, four shy of surpassing his career-high set in 2018-19 with the Montreal Canadiens.
QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK
“I think always with confidence, the game feels a little bit easier I would say. When you’re fighting the puck a little bit and going through cold stretches, it feels a little bit more difficult. You’re still working. I think a lot of guys are feeling good about their game now – I would say everybody – so we’ll just try to ride the streak now and keep it going.”
- Colorado RW Mikko Rantanen On His Confidence
