DENVER (Ticker) -- Marek Svatos recorded two goals and an assist
as the Colorado Avalanche snapped a four-game losing streak with
a 4-3 triumph over the Calgary Flames on Monday in a battle of
Northwest Division rivals.
All-Star Milan Hejduk and defenseman Ruslan Salei also scored
for Colorado, which won for just the second time in its last
nine games (2-7-0).
Ryan Smyth and Tyler Arnason notched two assists apiece and
Peter Budaj turned aside 36 shots for the Avalanche, who
improved to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Captain Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque and defenseman Adrian Aucoin
scored and Miikka Kiprusoff finished with 38 saves for Calgary,
which fell to 14-4-1 in its last 19 games.
With the game tied at 3-3 with 4:38 remaining in the second
period, Svatos gained a step on Flames' blue-liner Dion Phaneuf
and deflected Cody McLeod's centering feed past Kiprusoff for
his 11th goal of the season.
After Bourque opened the scoring 7:43 into the first period,
Svatos leveled the contest nearly five minutes later after
accepting a pass from Arnason and wristing the puck between the
pads of Kiprusoff.
Hejduk gave Colorado a brief 2-1 advantage just 34 seconds into
the second period with a power-play goal - and made history in
the process.
The tally gave Hejduk 636 career points, tying him with Anton
Stastny for fifth place on the franchise's career list.
Aucoin answered with a blast from just inside the blue line, but
Salei's slap shot beat Kiprusoff to help the Avalanche regain
the lead just 63 seconds later.