Reilly Smith scored two first-period goals and Tristan Jarry stopped all 31 shots he faced Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the visiting Colorado Avalanche their first loss of the season, 4-0.
It was Jarry’s second shutout of the season, the 15th of his career and his first against the Avalanche. He had been 1-3-0 in his first four starts, meaning both his wins have come via shutout.
Lars Eller and Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins, who are 6-2-0 against Colorado in the past eight meetings.
The Avalanche, who had not lost in any fashion in their first six games, had their NHL record for consecutive road wins, dating to last season, snapped at 15.
Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who has started each of his team’s seven games, gave up four goals on 24 shots before being pulled for Ivan Prosvetov, who stopped all five shots he faced.
Just after a Pittsburgh power play expired, Smith made it 1-0 at 4:40 of the first period. With a crowd in front of the crease, the puck glanced off an Avalanche player to Smith between the hashmarks. He roofed it through the crowd and past Georgiev.
Smith struck again at 16:51 of the first. Bryan Rust fed Evgeni Malkin, springing a two-on-one with Smith against Colorado defenseman Devon Toews. Malkin, cutting in from the right point, drew Georgiev toward him and got a pass through to Smith in the lower part of the left circle. With Georgiev out of position, Smith scored short side to make it 2-0.
At 6:00 of the second period, Eller picked up his first goal with the Penguins. Off a rebound of a shot by Radim Zohorna, Eller scored on a backhander from the low slot to boost the lead to 3-0.
Crosby struck at 10:35 of the third. Off a Colorado turnover, he got the puck and scored on a wrist shot from the left hash marks, making it 4-0 and chasing Georgiev.
–Field Level Media
