DENVER (AP) – David Krejci scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:36 remaining and Marc Savard added a goal and an assist, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.

Blake Wheeler had a goal in his first NHL game and Patrice Bergeron, playing in his first game in nearly a year, had an assist on Phil Kessel goal for the Bruins.

Tim Thomas stopped 35 shots, including a late flurry in the last 10 seconds after the Avalanche pulled goalie Peter Budaj. Bergeron was in the penalty box after drawing a penalty with 1:41 remaining for tripping.

Bergeron missed all but 10 games in 2007 with a serious concussion after he was driven face-first into the end boards by Philadelphia defenseman Randy Jones.

The loss spoiled the return of Avalanche coach Tony Granato.

Milan Hejduk had a goal and an assist for Colorado, giving him 600 points for his career.

After Michael Ryder gave the Bruins a 4-3 lead early in the third period, Colorado tied it up on Jordan Leopold’s shot off a rebound.

Joe Sakic had an assist on Cody McLeod’s goal in the second period, giving him 1,007 in his career. He’s now 26 shy of tying Mario Lemieux for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time assists list.

Sakic now has 60 points in 60 career games against Boston. His assist to McLeod in front of the net gave the Avalanche their first lead of the game at 3-2, but the Bruins tied it up midway through the second on Savard’s power-play goal.

A Bruins slapshot broke the glass behind the Avalanche’s goal with 2:47 remaining in the second period, and the officials had the teams take an early intermission as a cleanup crew switched it out.

The Bruins and Avalanche finished up the second period and then promptly started the final 20 minutes.

Hejduk and Wojtek Wolski each scored for Colorado in the first period. Kessel and Wheeler had the Bruins’ goals in the period.

Wolski’s goal came on an assist from Darcy Tucker, who was signed by Colorado after the Toronto Maple Leafs bought him out of his contract during the summer.

Before the opening faceoff, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Brett Hull and Cammi Granato were honored with a video tribute and an ovation from the capacity crowd. The group will be inducted into the 2008 class of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Friday night in Denver.

Notes: Colorado D Adam Foote played in his 999th career game Thursday night. … Avalanche backup goalie Andrew Raycroft was drafted by Boston and won the Calder Memorial Trophy with the Bruins in 2003-04. … Boston’s Stephane Yelle won two Stanley Cup titles while with the Avalanche. … The Bruins made their first trip to Denver since a 4-1 loss on Dec. 7, 2005. … Sakic became just the ninth player in NHL history to play 20 or more regular seasons with the same franchise.

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