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Stastny scores twice as Avalanche top Kings

Sep 20, 2007 - 6:42 AM By Dave Reed PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Paul Stastny had two goals and two assists and Peter Budaj stopped 17 shots as the Colorado Avalanche posted a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in a preseason game Wednesday at the Pepsi Center.

The Avalanche struck for a pair of power-play goals in a span of 17 seconds, just after the Kings cut Colorado's three-goal lead to 4-3 early in the third period.

Stastny scored into an open net at 11:40 after Andrew Brunette's pass to Ryan Smyth went through the crease and three Kings defenders collapsed on Smyth. T.J. Hensick scored just after the ensuing faceoff, taking a pass from defenseman Scott Hannan and skating in alone on Los Angeles goaltender Jason LaBarbera.

After Brunette gave the Avalanche a 4-1 lead just 44 seconds into the third period, Derek Armstrong and Brian Boyle scored five minutes apart to get the Kings back in the game.

Smyth, one of Colorado's free-agent additions, scored a power-play goal late in the second period while skating with Joe Sakic and Brunette. Smyth grabbed the rebound of a shot by Brunette near the bottom of the right faceoff circle and beat LaBarbera with a wrister.

Brunette finished with a goal and three assists.

Hensick scored his first goal midway through the second period on the power play, taking a pass from Brunette near the bottom of the right circle and banking the puck off netminder Jean-Sebastien Aubin for his first preseason goal.

The Avalanche went 5-for-7 on the power play.

Stastny put Colorado on the board just 64 seconds into the game. But Kings defenseman Peter Harrold tied it early in the second period with a slap shot from above the left circle just as Los Angeles was beginning its third consecutive power play.

Armstrong also scored for the Kings, who were 1-for-7 with the man advantage.

Aubin made 13 saves before giving way to LaBarbera with 9:17 left in the second period. LaBarbera turned aside 12 shots.

Milan Hejduk and Marek Svatos did not play for Colorado, while Mike Cammalleri and defenseman Jack Johnson sat out for Los Angeles.

Colorado and Los Angeles will meet again on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.