Colorado Avalanche

The expectation of a playoff-clinching moment for the Ducks deteriorated Wednesday into something far less memorable. The Colorado Avalanche, trailing all other NHL teams in points, forced Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller to the bench by scoring four goals off him in the first two periods, en route to a 4-1 victory at Honda Center. “They wanted it more than us, won every battle, worked harder,” Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray said. BOX SCORE: Colorado 4, Ducks 1 And as Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau added: “When we stink, we stink.” Hiller had won eight of his last nine decisions at home, with a 1.88 goals-against average since March 1 before Wednesday's head-scratching performances.

Colonial member Ryan Palmer shot an eight-under-par 62 on Thursday to match the first-round record at Hogan's Alley and take a one-stroke lead over John Rollins at Fort Worth. The bogey-free 62 equaled Palmer's lowest round on the PGA Tour. Palmer, the former Texas A&M player who has three PGA Tour victories, and longtime caddie James Edmondson are full dues-paying members at Colonial. Edmondson is the reigning club champion. Graham DeLaet matched Morgan Hoffmann, David Hearn and John Peterson at 64. Defending Colonial champion Zach Johnson opened with a 69. :: Jay Haas and Duffy Waldorf shared the first-round lead in the Senior PGA Championship, shooting five-under 66 at St. Louis.

A massive avalanche swept down a mountain outside a ski resort on Wednesday, killing one skier and burying at least two others beneath 30 feet of snow, authorities said. "We have every hope the people will be rescued safely. But as the minutes go by, that becomes less of a possibility," Summit County Undersheriff Gary Lindstrom said. Authorities said one body was found Wednesday evening and at least two skiers were trapped.

This is not a guided event , the organizers had warned, in small letters, at the bottom of an advertisement. Don't forget to bring your brain . The six men headed out separately from the main group participating in the Rocky Mountain High Backcountry Gathering on Saturday -- which was intended to benefit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, a safety service, and which had begun at 7 a.m. in the parking lot of the Loveland Ski Area....

* Regular season records: Colorado, 47-25-10, second in West; Florida 41-31-10, fourth in East. * Leading scorers: Colorado--Joe Sakic, 51-69--120; Florida--Scott Mellanby 32-38--70. * Leading playoff scorers: Colorado--Sakic, 17-12--29; Florida--Dave Lowry, 10-6--16. * Team goals-against averages: Colorado--2.89, ninth; Florida--2.82, sixth. * Playoff goals-against averages: Colorado--2.40, fifth; Florida--2.27, second. * Power play: Colorado--21.3%, second; Florida--17.3%, 16th.

Wal-Mart buys the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. I think they're in trouble. Near as I can figure, they will soon be making about $6.75 an hour. JIM STANDISH Whittier

The St. Louis Blues hired assistant coach Joel Quenneville of Stanley Cup champion Colorado as their new coach, replacing the fired Mike Keenan. Quenneville, 38, confirmed the hiring to KSDK-TV in St. Louis. A news conference is scheduled for today. . . . Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic suffered a deep laceration on his left calf Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers and is expected to sit out four weeks.

The Colorado Avalanche, hoping to solidify themselves on the back line, said Sunday they have acquired defenseman Greg de Vries from the Nashville Predators. For de Vries, 25, the Predators got a third-round selection in the 1999 entry draft. In 65 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, de Vries had seven goals and four assists with 80 penalty minutes.

Step aside Elvis, the Los Angeles Kings return to the desert for Frozen Fury 15 on Sept. 29 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 2012 Stanley Cup champs take on the Colorado Avalanche, and odds are the hometown heroes will rack up another Sin City win. L.A. holds a 10-5 Frozen Fury record while Colorado is 5-8 - so choose sides wisely. Tickets range from $30 to $225 for a seat up against the glass. - Jamie Wetherbe, Custom Publishing Writer   Frozen Fury 15  Los Angeles Kings MGM Grand Hotel & Casino 877.880.

Wojtek Wolski scored the only goal in a shootout, Craig Anderson stopped all three Tampa Bay shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Lightning, 2-1, on Friday night. Wolski had the Avalanche's only regulation goal, and Anderson made 21 saves to help Colorado end a three-game home losing streak.

Five snowboarders died in a backcountry avalanche Saturday afternoon  about 60 miles west of Denver, authorities said. A group of six snowboarders started out at Loveland Pass, which is  just short of 12,000 feet in elevation, but got no more than a mile down the mountain when the slide swept them away, Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger told the Los Angeles Times. One snowboarder dug himself out and called for help. The Sheriff's Office said the call came in around 2 p.m., about an hour after the avalanche.

The expectation of a playoff-clinching moment for the Ducks deteriorated Wednesday into something far less memorable. The Colorado Avalanche, trailing all other NHL teams in points, forced Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller to the bench by scoring four goals off him in the first two periods, en route to a 4-1 victory at Honda Center. "They wanted it more than us, won every battle, worked harder," Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray said. And as Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau added: "When we stink, we stink.

The expectation of a playoff-clinching moment for the Ducks deteriorated Wednesday into something far less memorable. The Colorado Avalanche, trailing all other NHL teams in points, forced Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller to the bench by scoring four goals off him in the first two periods, en route to a 4-1 victory at Honda Center. “They wanted it more than us, won every battle, worked harder,” Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray said. BOX SCORE: Colorado 4, Ducks 1 And as Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau added: “When we stink, we stink.” Hiller had won eight of his last nine decisions at home, with a 1.88 goals-against average since March 1 before Wednesday's head-scratching performances.

Step aside Elvis, the Los Angeles Kings return to the desert for Frozen Fury 15 on Sept. 29 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 2012 Stanley Cup champs take on the Colorado Avalanche, and odds are the hometown heroes will rack up another Sin City win. L.A. holds a 10-5 Frozen Fury record while Colorado is 5-8 - so choose sides wisely. Tickets range from $30 to $225 for a seat up against the glass. - Jamie Wetherbe, Custom Publishing Writer   Frozen Fury 15  Los Angeles Kings MGM Grand Hotel & Casino 877.880.

One effective line and one goal were not nearly enough for the Kings on Saturday night, a refrain that is becoming all too familiar. Their 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, played before a restless crowd at Staples Center, was another example of their offensive shortcomings and inability to get the balance and depth they need to make an impact in the Western Conference. Worn down by Colorado's physical play in the early going, the Kings mustered four shots in the first period against Jean-Sebastien Giguere and 26 overall.

After missing a game because of back spasms that began when he sat down for a pancake breakfast, Dustin Penner cleverly turned a potentially embarrassing incident into a running joke that enhanced his image and could benefit the Kings' charitable foundation. If the burly left wing could turn his miserable season around as effectively as he turned the pancake incident into a public relations bonanza, the Kings might not rank near the bottom of the NHL in scoring. "Working on it," Penner said Saturday morning as the Kings prepared to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Staples Center.

Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots, Matt Duchene and Brandon Yip scored, and the Colorado Avalanche won its fifth consecutive game with a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night. Cody Franson had a goal and Pekka Rinne made 21 saves for the Predators. Nashville has dropped two consecutive road games and three games in a row overall. -- associated press

Getting a jump on the holiday gift-buying crush, the Kings announced that they will unveil their new alternative jersey on Nov. 22 against the Colorado Avalanche. Over the years, the Kings' uniforms have gone from Forum Blue and Gold to Gretzky Silver and Black to the current shade of black and blue (the jersey, not the players). . . . "I know our fans are anxiously awaiting this jersey and we are excited to unveil it," Luc Robitaille, the Kings' president of business operations, said.