Evgeni Malkin returned from a five-game suspension and scored two of Pittsburgh’s four first-period goals, sparking the Penguins to a 7-2 rout of the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Monday night.

Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists, Bryan Rust, Noel Acciari and Elmer Soderblom contributed a goal and an assist each, Anthony Mantha scored and Connor Dewar had two assists for Pittsburgh.

The Penguins moved two points ahead of the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Malkin added an assist for Pittsburgh in his first game since March 5, when he was given a game misconduct for a slash on Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin. The league announced his suspension the next day.

Nathan MacKinnon and Brent Burns tallied for Colorado, which dropped its second in a row and missed an opportunity to extend its lead over second-place Dallas in the Central Division. The Stars lost 6-3 to the visiting Utah Mammoth on Monday.

The seven goals equaled the most allowed by the Avalanche this season.

Arturs Silovs made 15 of his 25 saves in the first period for the Penguins, who blitzed the Avalanche early. Malkin started the scoring when he pirouetted in the slot and beat Scott Wedgewood with a backhander at 3:01 of the first period.

MacKinnon tied it with his NHL-leading 45th goal at 4:08 of the first, but Mantha gave Pittsburgh the lead again 15 seconds later.

Malkin made it 3-1 at the 13-minute mark of the first to chase Wedgewood, who allowed three goals on five shots. Soderblom greeted Mackenzie Blackwood with a goal 43 seconds later to make it a 4-1 game.

Blackwood finished with 12 saves.

Burns gave Colorado a boost when he scored at 14:21 of the first.

The Avalanche pressed for another goal at the start of the second period, but Silovs kept it a two-goal game. Karlsson gave Pittsburgh breathing room when he scored at 10:36 of the second, and Rust made it 6-2 at 16:20 of the middle frame.

Acciari scored midway through the third period, which matched the most goals the Penguins have scored in a game this season.

–Field Level Media