Mikko Rantanen (hat trick, 2 assists), Avs pound Penguins

Mikko Rantanen scored a hat trick and had two assists for the Colorado Avalanche in a 6-2 win against the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and four assists and Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves for the Avalanche, who have won three straight and four of their past five.

Cody Glass and Michael Bunting scored for the Penguins, who have lost two of three after a four-game winning streak. Tristan Jarry made 21 saves.

MacKinnon gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 6:31 of the first period. He hustled to get to the loose puck in the neutral zone to create a two-on-one and took it to the left faceoff dot before snapping it past Jarry's left arm.

Rantanen, playing in his 600th NHL game, doubled the lead at 18:22. Cale Makar collected a loose puck in the left circle and dished a short feed to Rantanen in front, where he lifted it over Jarry's right pad.

Rantanen pushed the lead to 3-0 at 5:46 of the second period. Calvin de Haan faked a shot from the blue line on a pass to Rantanen near the corner below the right circle, and he one-timed it short side.

Glass got the Penguins on the board at 7:21 from the right circle off a feed from Evgeni Malkin, cutting it to 3-1.

Bunting then narrowed it to 3-2 at 18:53. Erik Karlsson sent a spinning pass from the corner to Bunting in front, roofing a wrist shot over Wedgewood blocker side.

Valeri Nichushkin took the puck down the right side and cut around Pittsburgh defenseman Marcus Petterson to the front of the net, then slid the puck by Jarry's right skate for a 4-2 lead at 3:23 of the third.

Artturi Lehkonen extended it to 5-2 when Rantanen fed him in front for a wrist shot that beat Jarry blocker side at 12:21.

With Jarry pulled for the extra attacker, Rantanen completed the hat trick from the right circle into an empty net at 15:08.

--Field Level Media