Chinakhov scored in a third consecutive game to tie it 1-1 at 8:09 with a one-timer from the point set up by Samuel Girard.
Malinski, Necas and Parker Kelly later scored three goals in 1:55.
Malinski gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 15:24 with a wrist shot in off the left post.
Necas made it 3-1 five seconds into a power play at 16:44 on a one-timer from the left face-off circle set up by Cale Makar.
Kelly dropped to a knee for another one-timer, extending the lead to 4-1 at 17:19.
Logan O'Connor set up Kelly in his season debut and return from having hip surgery on June 6, 2025.
“That’s been a long time coming,” O'Connor said. “Hopefully, as the games go on, feel more and more comfortable and continue to find my game more and to my identity as it goes on.”
Justin Brazeau seemed to score for the Penguins at 7:38 of the second period, wrapping a rebound around Wedgewood, but the Avalanche challenged and it was determined he interfered with Wedgewood.
Pittsburgh then had two shots on goal during a four-minute power play after Nazem Kadri was called for high-sticking at 8:25.
“We pressure at the right times,” Wedgewood said. “What we give up is kind of what we’re hoping to give up, right? And you’ve got everyone’s top-skilled guys out there, and for a length of time. We get blocks when we need them. We get saves when we need them.”
Necas pushed the lead to 5-1 at 17:29 on Colorado’s third shot on goal of the second, a wrist shot off a rebound from Devon Toews.
Rakell tapped in a pass from Sidney Crosby to cut it to 5-2 at 11:47 of the third period.
“We definitely had a lot of good looks today,” Rakell said. “We couldn't get it done. It was very frustrating. We’ve just got to regroup and move on to the next one.”
Ross Colton scored an empty-net goal at 16:20 for the 6-2 final in his return after missing six games with an upper-body injury.
“I don’t really think the score really reflected how we felt throughout the game,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “I don’t think we played bad today. Obviously, we didn’t play good enough to win either. We played one of the best teams in the League, if not the best team. That just showed today.”
NOTES: Letang is the 21st defenseman in NHL history to reach 800 points and fourth active, joining Brent Burns (939), Karlsson (924) and Victor Hedman (811). ... Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin did not play with an upper-body injury. He is day to day. ... Colorado forward Nicolas Roy was sidelined because of an upper-body injury. ... MacKinnon’s goal was his 300th at even-strength, the second-most in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history behind Joe Sakic (388). … Crosby has a four-game point streak (five points; one goal, four assists) since he returned on March 18 after sustaining a lower-body injury at the Winter Olympics. … Girard was facing Colorado for the first time since being traded to Pittsburgh on Feb. 24 after playing parts of nine seasons for the Avalanche. … Makar’s assist gave the defenseman 499 NHL points.
