Avalanche hangs on to beat Penguins at home

Colorado Avalanche center Alex Newhook (18) chases down a loose puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino (6) in the first period at Ball Arena April 02, 2022. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson (5), center, gets in on the play.Another tight game, another two points for the NHL-leading Avalanche.

Twice on Saturday, the extraordinary Avs scored on the first shift after allowing a goal. The Pittsburgh Penguins never led at Ball Arena but forged two ties, only to see Colorado retake the lead 20 and 27 seconds later, respectively.

The Avs, now playing without second-line center Nazem Kadri because of injury, went on to beat the Penguins 3-2 to win the opener of a…