Avs' season-opening win streak ends at six games

DENVER (AP) -- Daniel Sedin could have talked about his offensive contributions. He preferred to talk about how the Vancouver Canucks' team defense cooled off the Colorado Avalanche.

"We had a solid game offensively, but also defensively," Daniel Sedin said. "When you play good defense that opens it up for the offense."

Daniel Sedin had two goals and an assist, Brendan Morrison had a goal and the Canucks dealt the Avalanche their first home loss with a 4-3 victory Saturday night.

Ryan Kesler added a goal and Henrik Sedin had three assists for Vancouver, losers of six of its previous eight games. Roberto Luongo made 30 saves.

"We're a good team, and we came in here and beat a team that is tough at home," Luongo said. "It's a big confidence builder for us. We have a lot of divisional games this month, and we have to get as many games as we can."

The Avalanche had matched a franchise record by opening the season with six home wins. The team had won six straight at home to start the 1994-95 season while in Quebec.

Philadelphia (4-0) is now the only team without a loss at home.

"Our team really battled hard tonight," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "I really liked our overall competitiveness."

Marek Svatos scored twice and Jeff Finger had a short-handed goal for the Avalanche, who had won four straight overall.

Peter Budaj stopped 18 shots and lost for the first time in three starts.

Vancouver led 1-0 after one period, taking advantage of an unforced turnover by Avalanche defenseman Kurt Sauer. Sauer put the puck right onto Markus Naslund's stick in the right circle. Naslund's pass to Henrik Sedin was nudged to Daniel Sedin, who sent a wrister past Budaj with 9:40 left.

The Canucks killed two penalties in the period. Luongo denied Paul Stastny's one-timer from the slot and a deflected shot by Ryan Smyth from behind the net.

Colorado tied it at 1 on Finger's short-handed goal with 8:06 left in the second period. Wyatt Smith passed the puck from the side boards to Finger, who sent a backhander underneath Luongo's stick.

"Smith made a great pass," Finger said. "I wouldn't say the shot was lucky, but I was fortunate to have it go in."

Vancouver regained the lead, 2-1, on a power-play goal by Morrison with 4:06 remaining in the second. Henrik Sedin found Morrison in front of the net, behind an Avalanche defenseman.

Kesler made it a two-goal lead 1:16 into the third period. Budaj stopped Taylor Pyatt, but the Kesler punched back the rebound.

Svatos brought Colorado within 3-2 with a power play goal at 5:06.

Daniel Sedin sealed the win with his second goal of the night with 6:35 left. The Canucks were skating on a two-man advantage.

"Naslund made a good play to get it to Henrik, and he got it to me and I had an open net on my first goal," Daniel Sedin said. "The second one was five-on-three so it wasn't much to it."

Vancouver was 2-for-6 on the power play for the game.

Svatos made it 4-3 after Colorado had pulled Budaj with 1:15 left in the game.

"We had too many penalties, but that wasn't our only problem," Colorado coach Joel Quenneville said. "We put the puck on sticks in dangerous areas and paid for it."

Game notes
Morrison played in his 526th consecutive game, the longest current active streak. ... Luongo was shaken up briefly late in the first period when Smyth ran over him backwards over the goal line. ... Budaj appeared in his 100th game.