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DENVER -- The Los Angeles Kings are finding that wearing the Stanley Cup crown can be a heavy burden.

The Colorado Avalanche, playing their home opener Tuesday night, scored three times in the third period for a 3-1 victory, handing the Kings their second straight defeat to start the season.

The Avalanche got goals from Gabriel Landeskog and David Jones 95 seconds apart early in the third to grab a 2-1 lead.

Landeskog, last season’s Calder Trophy winner, tied the game at the 1-minute mark, and Jones broke the stalemate with a power-play goal at 2:35.

Landeskog scored while standing to the left of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick after Matt Duchene passed out to Jan Hejda for a shot from the left point. The puck caromed off the boards to Landeskog, who swept it by Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi and inside the near post.

Jones wired a shot past Quick off a pass from Paul Stastny after the Kings turned over the puck in their own end on the penalty kill with Dustin Penner off for holding.

The Avalanche used the boards to their advantage again at 8:16 to hike the lead to 3-1. Ryan Wilson fired the puck from the left point off the boards, and Erik Johnson slipped it to PA Parenteau in front for the two-goal advantage.

The Kings came close to pulling within a goal with 7-1/2 minutes remaining when Alec Martinez clanged a shot off the left post during a power play.

LA had a 1-0 lead thanks to a first-period goal by Kyle Clifford and some outstanding penalty killing late in the second period.

Clifford scored at 15:52 after Jordan Nolan fired a shot while skating down the right wing side. Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made the stop, but the rebound went right to Clifford driving into the slot. He banged the puck into a half-open net.

The Kings outshot the Avalanche 12-6 in a first period in which Quick was barely tested.

The Kings failed to capitalize on five power plays through 40 minutes but stayed in front by killing off a two-man disadvantage that lasted 1:29 into the second period with Penner (hooking) and Drew Doughty (high sticking) sitting side-by-side in the penalty box.

The Avalanche didn’t do much during the 5-on-3 advantage, with the best scoring chance coming at 16:31 of the period with 14 seconds remaining on the second power play. Stastny set up Jamie McGinn in front for a redirection that Quick turned aside while scrambling across the crease.

Varlamov made 28 saves in the contest while Quick stopped 28 shots.

Avalanche left wing Steve Downie limped off the ice at 2:33 of the second period with a knee injury after a hit in the corner with Kings defenseman David Drewiske. Downie didn't return and will be re-evaluated Wednesday.