Colorado pulls off split in LV

The Colorado Avalanche scored two power-play goals in the third period to take a 5-4 National Hockey League exhibition game victory over the Los Angeles Kings Sunday at the MGM Grand Arena.

Stephane Yelle fed Keith Jones with 7:05 left in the game to give Colorado the decisive goal in a seesaw game that earned the Avalanche a split in the two-game weekend series in Las Vegas.

The Kings nipped Colorado 3-2 Saturday night in a shootout when game officials opted to resolve a regulation-time deadlock with the International Hockey League's tie-breaker instead of the NHL's five-minute overtime period.

On Sunday, the Kings got a goal and two assists from crowd-favorite Luc Robitalle and a goal and an assist by Scott Barney.

After the Kings took a 1-0 lead at 2:34 in the first period on a goal by Donald MacLean, Colorado responded with two short-handed goals within 14 seconds of each other. Brad Larsen beat Kings goalie Frederic Chabot at the 5:00 mark. Following the center ice faceoff, Colorado's Peter Forsberg stole the puck and sneaked past Chabot's left side to take a 2-1 lead.

Los Angeles responded in the second period with goals by Sandy Moger and Barney, but John Klemm tied the game at 3-3 with a power-play goal for Colorado early in the third period.

With a man advantage, Robitaille replied with a goal, but the Avalanche came back with their own power-play score, by Valeri Kamensky. Jones' decisive goal came over a fallen Chabot.

Chabot stopped 24 of Colorado's 29 shots while Craig Billington and Marc Denis combined for 40 saves on 44 shots for the Avalanche.

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