Avalanche Disposes of Canucks, 6-2

Before Colorado Avalanche archenemy Todd Bertuzzi heard his first jeer, or even stepped onto the ice for that matter, Vancouver had fallen behind. It kept getting worse for the Canucks on yet another disappointing trip to Colorado.

Milan Hejduk scored 11 seconds into the game and the Avalanche scored three more times in the first period en route to a 6-2 victory Sunday night over Bertuzzi and the Canucks.

Vancouver fell to 0-3 in Denver this season.

“No explanation for the start. Not at all. I don’t have an answer,” said Bertuzzi, after enduring yet another night full of boos at the Pepsi Center. “This is an embarrassing loss.”

After the opening faceoff, Hejduk streaked toward the Vancouver goal and took a nice feed from Alex Tanguay to beat Alex Auld for the second-fastest goal in franchise history.

Every time he touched the puck, Bertuzzi was booed by Avalanche fans still bitter about the cheap shot the Canuck forward put on Colorado forward Steve Moore that broke Moore’s neck in a 2004 game in Vancouver. Moore has not returned to hockey since the hit.

Atlanta 5, Carolina 2 -- Ilya Kovalchuk had two goals and two assists, and Marian Hossa scored the go-ahead goal in the third period at Raleigh, N.C.

Marc Savard and Jean-Pierre Vigier also had goals for the Thrashers, who have taken both meetings with the Hurricanes in the RBC Center.

Buffalo 3, Washington 2 -- Jason Pominville scored his first NHL goal, and Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht also scored at Washington to help Buffalo stretch its unbeaten streak to six games. Washington has lost four straight.

Tampa Bay 4, Pittsburgh 1 -- Fredrik Modin scored two power-play goals and John Grahame stopped 20 shots for the Lightning at Tampa, Fla.

Mario Lemieux didn’t play because of a stomach virus.