The Colorado Avalanche secured a 4-1 victory over the Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena, extending their winning streak to three games. Artturi Lehkonen led the charge with two goals, while Casey Mittelstadt broke the tie with a power-play goal late in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon added two assists for the Avalanche (36-24-2), who have now won seven of their last ten NHL games.
The Penguins (24-30-10), meanwhile, suffered their third consecutive loss. Rickard Rakell scored their lone goal, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves in net. Despite the defeat, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan found positives in his team’s performance.
“I loved our team game,” Sullivan said, per NHL.com. “I thought the guys played hard tonight. There was structure; there was a collective effort in all three zones. I thought it was a good hockey game for 56 minutes. It’s unfortunate it came down to an unfortunate penalty late in the game.”
Jared Bednar’s honest assessment
Despite the win, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team’s performance. “Oh man, we did not move the puck at all tonight,” Bednar said, according to NHL.com.
Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates past Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
“Turnovers after turnovers led to scoring chances against. It was ugly. We had some guys play really hard in some areas to try and cover up some of those mistakes, but we beat up the puck pretty bad tonight, like the worst I’ve seen for a while,” Bednar added.
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NHL News: Sidney Crosby delivers honest statement after Penguins’ tough loss to Avalanche
What’s Next for the Avalanche?
While the win keeps Colorado in a strong position, Bednar’s candid critique highlights the need for improvement. The Avalanche’s ability to capitalize on opportunities and strong goaltending from Scott Wedgewood (who made 28 saves) were key to the victory. However, Bednar emphasized that the NHL team must clean up its puck management and reduce turnovers to avoid costly mistakes in future games.
