DENVER — The Pittsburgh Penguins were scrambling to stay in the game early in the third period.

Minutes later, they were celebrating a season sweep of the Colorado Avalanche.

Beau Bennett and Olli Maatta combined for three goals in 3:24 after Pittsburgh killed off Colorado’s two-man advantage during the third period, and the Penguins rallied to win 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Bennett had two goals during the flurry and Maatta scored the winner. Maatta also had an assist.

“It’s great to win with the boys,” Bennett said. “I thought we played pretty good all night long and luckily we were rewarded in the end. We just have to continue and go on a little bit of a streak here.”

Bennett tied it at 2 with a backhander at 7:19 of the third, and Maatta put Pittsburgh ahead 2:05 later when his sharp-angle shot went off goalie Reto Berra and popped up in the air. The puck hit the crossbar and went off Colorado’s John Mitchell and into the net.

The goal was upheld on review, but Colorado’s Patrick Roy issued a coach’s challenge. The goal stood on the second review, too.

“This is a call that should go to Toronto, not the referees on the ice,” Roy said. “Why? Because you’re watching some games and you see the same call and they disallow the goal. There’s not enough consistency and I think we need consistency in those calls and know exactly what it is, what should be goalie interference and not?”

Maatta wasn’t sure his goal would stand.

“I had no idea what was going on in there,” he said. “You never know, but I was hoping for the best.”

Bennett scored his second of the night and fifth of the season 1:19 later.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves for Pittsburgh, and Matt Cullen also scored.

Matt Duchene and Erik Johnson scored first-period goals for the Avalanche. Berra finished with 29 saves.

The Penguins nearly duplicated their win against Colorado in Pittsburgh last month.