NHL: Martin Necas scores twice as Avalanche crush Penguinsh

Martin Necas scored twice and Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves as the Colorado Avalanche cruised to a 6-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Colorado is riding a three-game winning streak and a four-game points streak (3-0-1). The Avalanche (47-13-10) lead the NHL with 104 points, including a league-best 53 points on the road, thanks to their 24-7-5 away record.

Wedgewood stopped 30 of 32 shots to earn his 26th win of the season. Sam Malinski also contributed with a goal and an assist, while Nathan MacKinnon, Parker Kelly, and Ross Colton added the other goals for Colorado. Necas has set personal season highs with 34 goals and 88 points in 67 games.

The loss dropped the Penguins (35-20-16, 86 points) to third place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh has struggled recently, allowing 21 goals in its past four games, going 1-2-1. Egor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, and Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 shots.

Colorado was perfect on the penalty kill, going 4-for-4. The Avalanche successfully killed a four-minute Penguins power play in the second period and over a minute of a 5-on-3 disadvantage in the third.

MacKinnon opened the scoring at 4:57 of the first period with his league-leading 46th goal. He stole the puck from Parker Wotherspoon at the Colorado blue line, raced down the ice, and beat Silovs with a shot. Chinakhov answered for Pittsburgh at 8:09, but Colorado responded quickly.

Malinski’s long-range shot deflected off the post at 15:24, starting a three-goal burst. Necas scored on the power play at 16:44, followed by Kelly just 35 seconds later. Necas added another goal at 17:29 of the second period after converting a rebound from Devon Toews’ shot.

Rakell scored for the Penguins at 11:47 of the third period, but Colton sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 16:20.

—Field Level Media/Reuters