PIRATES cruised to a comfortable victory in a sometimes bad-tempered challenge match at the Lagoon.
Although Pirates made all the early running, it was without any serious threat to the visitors' goal. But that changed in the sixth minute when Pirates opened the scoring, Chris Conaboy skating the length of the ice to shoot and although Daryl Findlay saved his first shot he was powerless to stop the rebound.
Avalanche did threaten briefly to level things up when Ross McWhirter broke clear but Damien Orr was equal to the task.
From that point it was all Pirates, with Findlay being beaten four times in only two minutes around the midpoint of the period.
First Richie Thorp outstripped the defence before finding Myles Watson alone in front of goal. Thorp then got on the scoresheet himself followed by a solo marker for John Churchill.
Alan Campbell completed the burst when he fired home off the post and the unfortunate Findlay.
The Pirates defence gifted Avalanche a goal in the 16th minute with Michael Chubb the recipient. Pirates then found themselves shorthanded but this didn't deter them when Stuart Miller broke clear to complete the period scoring.
Penalties dominated the opening minutes of the second period but it wasn't until the sides were skating even strength in the 28th minute that Pirates increased their lead, Stuart Swiatek stealing the puck in the Killie zone and beating Colin Gooding, who had replaced Findlay in the visitors' goal.
Determination in front of goal by Gary Morris in the 31st minute saw Pirates net for the eighth and final time of the night.
The home side tried in vain to increase their lead, but Kilmarnock netminder Gooding performed heroics to win a personal battle with Miller, with three quality stops before the second break.
The final period started on a bad-tempered note and it didn't really change after that.
Although there were none of the major skirmishes that have littered previous matches between the two teams, the sides rarely skated five on five.
Chances were at a premium however, although both sides did strike the post through McWhirter and Watson before Avalanche pulled a goal back in the 48th minute, Colin Connor getting the credit but it looked like an own goal with the Pirates defence getting in each other's way.
Avalanche added some more respectability to the score when they completed the scoring two minutes from time through Ian Crockatt.
Next Saturday Pirates are back to league business with a trip to Elgin - face-off is 6.30pm.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Paisley: Myles Watson Kilmarnock: Colin Gooding
SCORING: Paisley: Churchill, Thorp 1+1, Campbell, Conaboy, Miller, Morris, Swiatek, Watson all 1+0, Maceachran 0+1. Kilmarnock: Chubb, Connor, Crockatt 1+0, Downie, Maitland 0+1
NETMINDING: Paisley: Orr 26 shots/3goals. Kilmarnock: Findlay (20.00) 21 shots/6 goals Gooding (40.00) 39 shots/2 goals
PENALTIES: Paisley: Thorp 8 minutes, team bench 4, Churchill, Conaboy, Drummond, Maceachran all 2. Kilmarnock: Chubb, Connor, McCallum, McGinlayall 2