• Who: Penguins (24-29-10) vs. Avalanche (35-24-2)
• What: NHL regular season, Game 64
• When: 9:10 p.m. Eastern
• Where: Ball Arena
• Goaltenders: Alex Nedeljkovic (12-12-5, .892 SV%) vs. Scott Wedgewood (6-6-1, .898 SV%) or
• TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
• Radio: Penguins Radio Network
• Streaming: SNP360, ESPN+ (out-of-market)
• Boxscore: NHL.com
• Media notes: Penguins | Avalanche

► FOLLOW ALONG

• That's the final. Penguins lose their final game before the trade deadline, 4-1. On to Las Vegas. Off day tomorrow, practice Thursday, trade deadline and game on Friday.

• GOAL: Another empty net. Avalanche 4, Penguins 1

• GOAL: Avalanche hit the empty net with 68 seconds remaining. Avalanche 3, Penguins 1

• GOAL: Avalanche capitalize on the power play with 4:09 remaining. Casey Mittelstadt from the side of the cage. Alex Nedeljkovic got a piece of it but it got over him. Avalanche 2, Penguins 1

Val Nichushkin finds Casey Mittelstadt for the tiebreaking power play goal, 2-1 Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/71N6p0cUsw

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 5, 2025

• Avalanche get their first power play with 5:37 left. Anthony Beauvillier is called for a trip. 

• Kris Letang crosschecks the (much bigger) Valeri Nichushkin at a whistle and a little kerfuffle breaks out.

• Nathan MacKinnon splits the defense pairing of Kris Letang and Ryan Shea but can't get a shot off.

• Huuuuge sliding save on Sidney Crosby from Scott Wedgewood.

• A Blake Lizotte turnover results in a chance for the Avalanche, Alex Nedeljkovic makes the save.

• Final frame is underway.

• End of the first, and it's 1-1. Rickard Rakell with the Penguins' goal. Shots are 24-15 Penguins.

• GOAL: And it's tied. Bryan Rust sets up Rickard Rakell for a redirect in the crease. Penguins 1, Avalanche 1

• Power play comes to an end. Penguins had three shots (and didn't allow any).

• Penguins get another power play with 4:58 left in the second. Devon Toews sits for two for holding Sidney Crosby.

• Nothing comes of the power play. Only shot came from Valeri Nichushkin.

• Avalanche get a shorthanded 2-on-0 after Alex Nedeljkovic just turned the puck right over to Valeri Nichushkin. Nedeljkovic bails himself out.

• Penguins get a power play with 9:44 left. Sam Malinski sits for two for hooking. Oliver Kylington was felled by a shot just before the penalty.

• Sidney Crosby still hasn't lost a draw.

• First half of the second period has been more evenly-matched, though obviously the Avalanche have the only shot that matters.

• Not much Alex Nedeljkovic could have done there, by the way. Too close and too fast to react.

• GOAL: Avalanche strike first. Nathan MacKinnon gets the puck behind the net and sets up Arturri Lehkonen only a few feet from the crease. Lehkonen drops to a knee and fires a laser. Avalanche 1, Penguins 0

• Anthony Beauvillier gets a breakaway, sprung by Philip Tomasino. Beauvillier tries to go five-hole but Scott Wedgewood keeps it out.

• The second period is underway.

• Sidney Crosby won all six of his faceoffs in the first.

• End of the first, still no score. Penguins have a 13-8 lead in shots. 

• Penguins have been the better team this period. Just can't get anything to show for it so far.

• Penguins are outshooting the Avalanche 7-5 with 6:20 left in the first.

• Kyle Dubas isn't on this road trip, by the way. Stayed home to manage the trade deadline.

• Rickard Rakell and Martin Necas collided in the neutral zone. Necas lands on his stomach, Rakell somehow ends up sitting on his back and rides him as they slide half the length of the neutral zone. Fans were seemingly outraged about a non-call but I don't even know what you'd call that. They showed replays from three different angles on the videoboard for some reason.

• Hey, and there's the first real Avalanche shot. Alex Nedeljkovic makes the save. No first-shot goal tonight.

• Valeri Nichushkin with a great chance off a rush but hits the post.

• We are underway.

• Layne Matechuk, a survivor of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, is here to drop a ceremonial first puck. 

• Because we're in Colorado ... here's your reminder that Sidney Crosby is irritated by hearing about the baseless trade speculation involving him. He's not going anywhere. Pass that along to the Colorado media who can't stop talking about it.

• Avalanche lines and pairings:

Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Jonathan Drouin - Casey Mittelstadt - Valeri Nichuskin
Joel Kiviranta - Jack Drury - Ross Colton
Miles Wood - Parker Kelly - Logan O'Connor

Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Samuel Girard - Oliver Kylington
Ryan Lindgren - Sam Malinski

• Same lines and pairings for the Penguins as this morning. Welcome to the Penguins, Vladislav Kolyachonok:

Rickard Rakell - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Anthony Beauvillier - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Tomasino
Danton Heinen - Kevin Hayes - Emil Bemstrom
Blake Lizotte - Cody Glass - Noel Acciari

Ryan Shea - Kris Letang
Matt Grzelcyk - Erik Karlsson
Vladislav Kolyachonok - Vincent Desharnais

• Former Penguin Richard Park is here scouting for the Wild. 

• The Penguins decided that the best place to set up for pregame soccer game was directly in front of the media entrance door and I came this 🤏 close to getting hit but noted good guy Kevin Hayes yelled “MEDIA!” and I was safe.