Avalanche 4, Oilers 2

Edmonton defenceman Allan Rourke hammers Avalanche forward Jaroslav Hlinka.

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Game Day Centre Preview Game Notes Photo Gallery Click here for tonight's photos Oilers TV Watch tonight's video highlights. 700K Post-Game Podcast Post-Game at Colorado: Huddy, Horcoff, Brodziak and MacTavish  Audio Highlights at Colorado  Three Stars Milan Hejduk, COL One goal, two assists on the night. Joe Sakic, COL Avs captain had a goal and an assist. Dwayne Roloson, EDM Did everything he could to keep the Oilers in the game, stopping 32 of 36 shots in the first two periods.

Colorado got off to a fast start and held on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in Denver on Wednesday night.

The Avalanche got off to a fast start, scoring two goals 25 seconds apart within the opening five minutes.

4:14 into the period, Jaroslav Hlinka fired a shot from the corner that Roloson stopped but the rebound went right to Milan Hejduk at the top of the crease. He swatted the puck into the open net to put the Avs on the board.

15 seconds later, Hejduk found Brett Clark in the high slot. The Edmonton goaltender was unable to get across in time to make the save.

Brodziak almost got the Oilers back within one after taking a pass in the slot. He had the entire net to shoot at but rang it off the crossbar.

Edmonton finally got its first shot nine minutes into the opening period when Budaj stopped Stoll's point shot. Shots were 11-1 Avalanche at that point.

Tyler Arnason almost increased the Avs lead to three goals when his shot from the slot handcuffed Roloson. But the Oilers goaltender was able to recover and pounce on the puck before it crossed the line.

After one period, shots on goal were 17-3 for Colorado.

The Avalanche went back on the attack to start the second period. In the opening two minutes, Roloson had to be sharp again, grabbing a close-in Andrew Brunette shot out of mid-air.

Colorado continued to take the play to the Oilers, outshooting them 9-0 through the first eight minutes of the period. Overall, the shot count was 26-3 at that point in the game.

A Staios penalty put the Avs back on the power play but while shorthanded, Edmonton had its first shot of the period. Ryan Smyth lost the puck at his own blueline, sending Horcoff in alone. His shot went off the shaft of Budaj's stick.

A minute later, Sakic took the puck in the high slot, corralled it and wristed it past Roloson to extend the Avs' lead to 3-0.

Colorado made it 4-0 with five minutes to go in the second. Sakic found Wolski on a cross-ice pass and Wolski one-timed it past the outstretched glove of Roloson.

Shots after two were 36-9 for Colorado.

Mathieu Garon came out to replace Roloson at the start of the third period.

Edmonton had a power play 3:45 into the period with a chance to get back in the game. Colorado's penalty killers were able to hold off the Oilers but Edmonton picked up some momentum as a result of the man advantage.

Several minutes after the penalty expired, Torres picked up the puck behind the Avalanche net, came out in front and jammed it through the five hole past Budaj.

Smyth had a breakaway midway through the period but had the puck poked away just as he was about to make a move. He was also hooked from behind on the play by Staios.

With 5:49 to go in the third, Edmonton made things interesting. Horcoff was in front of the net when he deflected a Grebeshkov point shot past Budaj to close the gap to 4-2.

NOTES: Edmonton went with the same lineup as Monday night... Torres and Hemsky both played their 300th career game tonight... The game was Avalanche head coach Joel Quenneville's 100th win in Colorado and also the 500th win in Colorado Avalanche history since moving to Denver in 1995.