BLACKHAWKS 4, AVALANCHE 3

CHICAGO (AP) -- Andrew Ladd scored on a low shot in the ninth round of the shootout to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night in their home opener.

Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kopecky also connected in the shootout to help Chicago improve to 2-1-1. Milan Hejduk, Marek Svatos and Darcy Tucker scored in the shootout for Colorado, also 2-1-1.

Cam Barker, John Madden and Duncan Keith scored in regulation for Chicago. Madden's goal was his first with Chicago after signing as a free agent from New Jersey.

Matt Hendricks, Wojtek Wolski and Hejduk scored in regulation for the Avalanche. Hendrick's goal was his first in the NHL. Wolski, who added an assist, has four goals in four games.

Craig Anderson, who has started each of the Avalanche's four games, made 23 saves through overtime. Anderson began his NHL career with the Blackhawks and signed with the Avalanche as a free agent last summer following three season with Florida.

Chicago's Cristobal Huet stopped 16 shots.

The two teams traded goals throughout regulation; neither club held more than a one-goal lead.

The Avalanche played its second game of a seven-game road trip, the team's longest since moving to Denver from Quebec City in 1995. Chicago played its first game at the United Center after opening the season with two contests against Florida in Helsinki, followed by a game in Detroit.

Barker scored the lone goal in the first period on a power-play with 2:08 left. His screened drive from the right point slid under Anderson's right pad as Chicago's Kopecky and Toews created traffic.

Hendricks tied it at 1-1 just 2:35 into the second. After Huet stopped T.J. Galiardi's shot from the slot, Hendricks backhanded in the rebound from the right side of the net.

Wolski gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 5:45 when he tipped in Scott Hannan's shot from the top of the slot.

Madden tied it at 2-2 only 29 seconds later. He cut through the slot and fired in a rebound of Niklas Hjalmarsson's shot from the point.

Hejduk put Colorado ahead 3-2 with 4:32 left in the second with a 5-on-3 power-play goal, one-timed from the left edge of the crease. Keith replied 40 seconds later with a short-handed goal when he pinched into the slot and converted Versteeg's feed.

The third period was scoreless. Hejduk's point-blank tip-in attempt hit the right post with 3:40 left.

NOTES: A Blackhawks defenseman has either scored or assisted on each of the team's 12 goals this season. ... Chicago LW Ben Eager missed his second game because of concussion-like symptoms. ... C Dave Bolland returned after missing one game with a sore lower back. ... Blackhawks RW Jack Skille played after being recalled from Rockford of the AHL earlier in the day. ... Chicago D Jordan Hendry and Colorado C T.J. Hensick were healthy scratches.