Pittsburgh Penguins – Colorado Avalanche: Expect a goal avalanche? 
On paper it’s a standings mismatch, but on the ice both teams can torch the scoreboard. Pittsburgh is scrapping like mad for a playoff spot and absolutely needs points. Colorado sits atop the league and usually steamrolls opponents, yet it has shown odd little cracks lately.
Will the home side set a breakneck tempo and run wild, or will the West leader strike back? We slice through the matchups and give you the pick that makes sense tonight.
Pittsburgh: win-or-bust 
Sitting 6th in the Eastern Conference (86 points, 241 goals for, 219 against), the Penguins are neck-deep in the playoff hunt and play dangerously entertaining hockey. Over their last five they’ve grabbed three wins, including a tense shootout victory over Winnipeg (5-4 SO). They also dropped two to Carolina (6-5 and 5-1), but here’s the headline: in four of their last five games they scored four or more goals.
Under Dan Muse they attack nonstop, pushing a frantic pace and forcing opponents to match the tempo. The flip side is obvious: the back end often gets left exposed, which turns pretty much every game into an offense-heavy affair.
Colorado: a touch less invincible 
Colorado absolutely dominates the Western Conference with 102 points and a massive differential — 257 goals for and 175 against. This has been a brilliant season for them, but recent results hint at a slight drop-off.
In their last five they still picked up impressive wins, but they’ve also slipped up three times, stumbling to losses against Winnipeg (3-1) and Dallas (2-1). The team still skates fast and attacks, but finishing has dried up lately. To make things worse, injuries to Artturi Lehkonen and Ross Colton have thinned out the bench and made the forward group less flexible.
NHL Pick Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche
Penguins 3+ goals (Over 2.5)
Yes, Colorado is the runaway leader this season, but their current wobble and scoring issues make them beatable. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is on fire offensively: even in defeat they keep firing pucks at the net and find the back of the net.
Look at the tasty stat: in four of their last five games the Penguins put up between 4 and 7 goals. And don’t forget the recent head-to-head where Pittsburgh absolutely mauled Colorado, dropping seven on them. Given the red-hot home attack, Pittsburgh’s desperate need for points, and the open styles both teams play, backing the Penguins to score at least three goals tonight (Over 2.5) is the clearest, most profitable angle on the board.
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