Schedule / Matchup Preview

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche · Matchup Preview Based on 26-27 form — rosters current

Season 26-27
Matchup Preview vs Avalanche · TUE · JAN 12 · 6:00 PM CT ← Back to schedule
Upcoming
TUE · JAN 12 · 6:00 PM CT
PPG Paints Arena
ESPN+ · HULU · Disney+
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins
2–0–0
VS
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche
2–0–0
Upcoming
TUE · JAN 12 · 6:00 PM CT
ESPN+ · HULU · Disney+
Pittsburgh Penguins
Home · Penguins
2–0–0
4 PTS
VS
Puck Drop In
The read
The Penguins have been on the wrong end of a 5-point night from Nathan MacKinnon. But Mackenzie Blackwood has not had an answer for Andrei Kuzmenko: 4 goals on 16 shots.
PPG Paints Arena
Colorado Avalanche
Away · Avalanche
2–0–0
4 PTS
Penguins
GOALIES
Avalanche
Arturs Silovs
Arturs Silovs
Expected
.886 SV% · 2.47 GAA · 2W
.920 SV% L5 · Locked in
VS
Mackenzie Blackwood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Expected
.912 SV% · 2.50 GAA · 2W
.886 SV% L5 · Cooling
Penguins
PROJECTED TOP LINES
Avalanche
L1
Nicholas Robertson · Sidney Crosby · Rickard Rakell
L1
Artturi Lehkonen · Nathan MacKinnon · Martin Necas
L2
Egor Chinakhov · Tommy Novak · Evgeni Malkin
L2
Gabriel Landeskog · Brock Nelson · Nazem Kadri
L3
Andrei Kuzmenko · Ben Kindel · Hendrix Lapierre
L3
Jaden Schwartz · Fedor Svechkov · T.J. Hughes
L4
Connor Dewar · Blake Lizotte · Filip Hallander
L4
Parker Kelly · Nicolas Roy
D1
Declan Carlile · Erik Karlsson
D1
Devon Toews · Cale Makar
D2
Samuel Girard · Kaedan Korczak
D2
Brett Kulak · Sam Malinski
D3
Trevor van Riemsdyk · Kris Letang
D3
Josh Manson · Brent Burns
PP1
Ben Kindel · Tommy Novak · Rickard Rakell · Erik Karlsson · Sidney Crosby
PP1
T.J. Hughes · Gabriel Landeskog · Nathan MacKinnon · Martin Necas · Cale Makar
PP2
Andrei Kuzmenko · Hendrix Lapierre · Egor Chinakhov · Kris Letang · Evgeni Malkin
PP2
Jaden Schwartz · Nazem Kadri · Artturi Lehkonen · Devon Toews · Brock Nelson
PK1
Filip Hallander · Connor Dewar · Samuel Girard · Kris Letang
PK1
Parker Kelly · Nicolas Roy · Devon Toews · Brent Burns
PK2
Ben Kindel · Rickard Rakell · Trevor van Riemsdyk · Erik Karlsson
PK2
Brock Nelson · Artturi Lehkonen · Josh Manson · Cale Makar
PenguinsProjected lines
L1
Nicholas Robertson · Sidney Crosby · Rickard Rakell
L2
Egor Chinakhov · Tommy Novak · Evgeni Malkin
L3
Andrei Kuzmenko · Ben Kindel · Hendrix Lapierre
L4
Connor Dewar · Blake Lizotte · Filip Hallander
D1
Declan Carlile · Erik Karlsson
D2
Samuel Girard · Kaedan Korczak
D3
Trevor van Riemsdyk · Kris Letang
PP1
Ben Kindel · Tommy Novak · Rickard Rakell · Erik Karlsson · Sidney Crosby
PP2
Andrei Kuzmenko · Hendrix Lapierre · Egor Chinakhov · Kris Letang · Evgeni Malkin
PK1
Filip Hallander · Connor Dewar · Samuel Girard · Kris Letang
PK2
Ben Kindel · Rickard Rakell · Trevor van Riemsdyk · Erik Karlsson
AvalancheProjected lines
L1
Artturi Lehkonen · Nathan MacKinnon · Martin Necas
L2
Gabriel Landeskog · Brock Nelson · Nazem Kadri
L3
Jaden Schwartz · Fedor Svechkov · T.J. Hughes
L4
Parker Kelly · Nicolas Roy
D1
Devon Toews · Cale Makar
D2
Brett Kulak · Sam Malinski
D3
Josh Manson · Brent Burns
PP1
T.J. Hughes · Gabriel Landeskog · Nathan MacKinnon · Martin Necas · Cale Makar
PP2
Jaden Schwartz · Nazem Kadri · Artturi Lehkonen · Devon Toews · Brock Nelson
PK1
Parker Kelly · Nicolas Roy · Devon Toews · Brent Burns
PK2
Brock Nelson · Artturi Lehkonen · Josh Manson · Cale Makar
Last Game (2026-10-03) · Oct 4 · 6:19 AM CT Bailey Curtis · Oct 3 · 7:41 PM CT
Penguins
INJURY REPORT
Avalanche
Bryan Rust
IR · Upper body · Expected back Oct 5
Zachary L'Heureux
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Justin Brazeau
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Logan O'Connor
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Ryan Graves
IR · Knee · Expected back Oct 24
Trent Miner
IR · Undisclosed injury · Expected back Oct 10
Georgii Merkulov
IR · Undisclosed injury · Expected back Oct 7
PenguinsInjury report
Bryan Rust
IR · Upper body · Expected back Oct 5
Justin Brazeau
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Ryan Graves
IR · Knee · Expected back Oct 24
AvalancheInjury report
Zachary L'Heureux
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Logan O'Connor
IR · Lower body · Expected back Oct 7
Trent Miner
IR · Undisclosed injury · Expected back Oct 10
Georgii Merkulov
IR · Undisclosed injury · Expected back Oct 7
Last Game (2026-10-03) · Oct 4 · 6:19 AM CT Bailey Curtis · Oct 3 · 7:41 PM CT
STORYLINE
The Penguins have won 2 straight and are 2-0-0 in their first 2 games. The Avalanche have won 2 straight and are 2-0-0 in their first 2 games.

Matchup Intel

The Penguins have been on the wrong end of a 5-point night from Nathan MacKinnon. But Mackenzie Blackwood has not had an answer for Andrei Kuzmenko: 4 goals on 16 shots.

Arturs Silovs has had trouble with Colorado, a .875 save percentage on 56 shots. Nick Robertson is 2 goals shy of 100 career goals.

The numbers behind it
Player
Nathan MacKinnon once put up 5 points in a game against Pittsburgh. See the games →
(Colorado)
5 pts, one game vs PIT
Matchup
Andrei Kuzmenko has 4 goals on Mackenzie Blackwood (16 shots).
(Pittsburgh)
4 goals on Mackenzie Blackwood
Player
Bryan Rust has 5 points in his last 4 games against Colorado. See the games →
(Pittsburgh)
5 pts, last 4 vs COL
Matchup
Trevor van Riemsdyk has 14 shots on Mackenzie Blackwood without a goal.
(Pittsburgh)
0/14 vs Mackenzie Blackwood
Goaltending
Arturs Silovs has struggled against Colorado — a .875 save % on 56 shots.
.875 SV% vs COL
Milestone
Nick Robertson is 2 goals shy of 100 career goals.
98 career goals