DENVER (AP) - Ian Laperriere scored his first goal of the season, Peter Budaj stopped 25 shots, and the Colorado Avalanche won its fourth straight, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Thursday night.
Joe Sakic, Paul Stastny and Cody McLeod added goals for Colorado, the highest-scoring team in the NHL. Darcy Tucker and Ben Guite each added two assists.
Shawn Horcoff scored the Oilers' lone goal, his third of the season. The Oilers have suddenly fallen into a funk since winning four in a row. Edmonton lost 3-0 Wednesday night in Chicago.
Colorado struggled early this season, losing three in a row, but the offense has suddenly been sparked and is averaging four goals a game.
The line of Milan Hejduk, Stastny and Ryan Smyth has led the charge, combining for 12 goals and 13 assists through seven games.
However, the Avs are distributing the scoring wealth as 16 players have scored this season, the most of any team the league. Laperriere added his name to the list with his first regular-season goal since February against Phoenix.
Laperriere also assisted on a goal and drew a penalty for fighting. He became the first Avalanche player to record a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" since Matthew Barnaby on March 14, 2004 vs. Phoenix.
Budaj had his second solid game in goal after giving up 13 goals in his first three starts.
Mathieu Garon lost for the first time in four starts.
Sakic scored career goal No. 625 early in the third period off a feed from Tucker.
Stastny and McLeod added goals 1:05 apart late in the second period, staking the Avalanche to a 3-1 lead. Stastny has at least a point in all seven games, the longest streak for a Colorado skater to start a season since Sakic's eight-game run in 1999-2000.
McLeod's goal came as he fended off defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky with one hand, poking in the shot with the other as he glided near the net.
Horcoff got the Oilers on the board first with a power-play goal early in the second period. He gobbled up an errant clear and lined it past Budaj. Ales Hemsky earned his 200th career assist.
The Avalanche had three power-play chances in the opening period, but couldn't capitalize. Hejduk had a point-blank shot turned back on a pad save by Garon. Hejduk leads the Avalanche with six goals.
Edmonton had two power-play opportunities in the first period, but couldn't get anything past Budaj.
Notes: Oilers D Steve Staios missed a second straight game for personal reasons. ... Avalanche F David Jones was a late scratch with the flu. ... Colorado, in conjunction with the NHL, will take part in Hockey Fights Cancer awareness night on Saturday against Buffalo. The Avalanche players will wear decals on their helmets, while the coaches will don Hockey Fights Cancer ties.
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