DENVER – Milan Hejduk had two goals and an assist and the Colorado Avalanche scored five, second-period goals to cruise to a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Paul Stastny had a goal and two assists and John-Michael Liles and Marek Svatos added a goal and assist each. Goaltender Peter Budaj stopped 27 shots for Colorado, which also got a goal from Andrew Brunette in winning for the third time in four games.
Derek Armstrong had his first goal of the season for the Los Angeles Kings, 1-4-2 in their last seven games. Goaltender Dan Cloutier stopped 26 of 32 shots and is 8-8-2 in his career against Colorado.
With the scored tied at 1 after one period and Los Angeles center Craig Conroy still serving a double minor – interference and unsportsmanlike conduct – Colorado capitalized, scoring twice in the first 2:32 on a 5-on-3 advantage. Aaron Miller joined Conroy in the penalty box to make it a two-man disadvantage for the Kings at 46 seconds of the period.
Hejduk scored from the lower left circle at 1:25. Svatos tapped in a rebound at 2:32 to make it 3-1. After Stastny scored at 10:31, Hejduk was credited with his second goal, when Patrice Brisbois’ shot deflected off Stastny’s stick and Hejduk’s face past Cloutier at 16:25.
Brunette made it 6-1 with his third goal of the year at 18:30 of the period.
Mathieu Garon replaced Cloutier at the start of the third period and stopped Wojtek Wolski on a breakaway. Earlier the Kings’ Dustin Brown hit the left post behind Budaj.
Armstrong put the Kings ahead 1-0 at 5:10 of the first period. Brent Sopel found Armstrong behind Brisbois and tapped a shot past Budaj. Liles tied it at 1 with a slap shot from the slot at 8:47.
Notes: One-time Avalanche Rob Blake was booed mildly throughout the game. Blake played four-plus seasons for Colorado. … The Kings had two double-minor penalties in the first period. … Los Angeles is 2-1-0 in back-to-back games. … Two assists by Joe Sakic left him a point shy of 1,500. … The Avalanche were 3-for-6 on the power play after going 1-for-19 on their recent three-game road trip.
AP-ES-10-23-06 2242EDT
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