DENVER -- Semyon Varlamov and the Colorado Avalanche found a cure for their first slump of the season -- play the Stanley Cup champs. Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell also scored during Colorados three-goal first period. P.A. Parenteau and Cody McLeod added goals in the second and third for Colorado, which snapped a three-game skid. "You always say a win is a win, and it is. But at the same time our strength is our team morale and confidence," Landeskog said. "It feels good. It doesnt mean anything unless we go into Phoenix and play well." Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks, who failed to get at least two goals for the first time this season. Colorado ended Chicagos NHL-record streak of 24 consecutive games with at least a point to start a season in a 6-2 win last March. "Maybe we tend to respect them a little more than other teams, which we shouldnt," Stastny said. "We should respect everyone the same way. When youre young, that happens. Theyre the defending champs and you always want to play your best against the best." Antti Raanta made 14 saves in his NHL debut for the Blackhawks. He played the final 46:23 in relief of Corey Crawford, who allowed three goals on seven shots. "The target all the time was that someday I could play in the NHL, and in Rockford I had good games there, and I know I can do it," he said. "Only now its the small things, so we have to keep doing work and prepare to be even better all the time." The Blackhawks had their opportunities in outshooting Colorado 37-23. They had several quality chances to get back in the game in the second period but couldnt put one past Varlamov. Colorado stumbled after winning 14 of its first 16 games but capitalized on its chances in the first period this time. Stastny scored when Brent Seabrooks pass off the boards ricocheted to him in the slot, and he beat Crawford with a slap shot. Landeskog gave Colorado a two-goal lead when he redirected Andre Benoits shot from the point past Crawford with 7:39 left in the period. Just 56 seconds later, Mitchell made it 3-0. "We had a really good start. We were really sharp around the net and scored nice goals," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. Raanta, recalled Sunday, replaced Crawford after Mitchells goal. He faced only seven shots over the next 25 minutes but allowed his first goal late in the second period. After the Blackhawks had several strong chances in front of Varlamov, Parenteau skated down the left boards and beat Raanta with a shot from the circle to make it 4-0 with 1:22 left in the second. "The fourth goal was big for us. They were buzzing in our zone and Varly made some key saves for us," Roy said. "Youre always afraid being up 3-0 of having a letdown. But we were moving our feet." McLeod scored his first goal of the season on a rebound 1:44 into the third. Chicago lost forward Bryan Bickell in the first period after he crashed into the Avalanche net. He didnt return, and coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that Bickell might be more than day to day. "But Im not sure of that," Quenneville said. Its a tough blow for the Blackhawks, who are playing without forwards Michael Handzus and Marian Hossa. "Bicksie is obviously a big part of this and you hope its not too long," Kris Versteeg said. "Obviously, we need him in the lineup." NOTES: Colorado forward Maxime Talbot and defenceman Tyson Barrie had two assists each. ... There were only two penalties called in the game, one on each team. ... Avalanche C Matt Duchene is expected to miss at least a week with an oblique injury sustained in Saturdays loss to Florida. ... Hossa missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Colorado placed forward Alex Tanguay (knee) and defenceman Ryan Wilson (back) on injured reserve and recalled C Brad Malone and Barrie from Lake Erie of the AHL. Juan Centeno Jersey . Vonn "reopened" the idea of competing in the season-opening World Cup event on Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria after returning to the slopes last month in Portillo, Chile. Red Sox Jerseys 2019 . - Mike Magee converted two penalty kicks in a 10-minute span of the first half and the Chicago Fire beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Sunday. https://www.cheapredsox.com/2871z-pedro-martinez-jersey-red-sox.html . The freestyle skier from Calgary finished sixth in the qualification round with a total of 82.00 points. Groenewoud won a silver medal at the X Games last month, just over five weeks after undergoing double knee surgery. Jason Varitek Jersey . - Mark Sanchez found out the New York Jets had acquired Tim Tebow on a conference call with team management. Tim Wakefield Jersey . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver.BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles traditionally thrust a pie in the face of a successful teammate while hes being interviewed after a game at Camden Yards, and Nick Markakis was poised to be the recipient. On Saturday night, however, his teammates thought Markakis deserved better. He had played out of position for the sake of the team and singled in the winning run in the 10th inning after two throwing errors by pitcher Danny Duffy laid the groundwork for a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. So J.J. Hardy handed Markakis the pie and a fork, and he happily took a bite. Markakis, a Gold Glove right fielder, played first base for the first time since 2011. He was there because slugger Chris Davis was sidelined with a strained left oblique, an injury that will put the major leagues reigning home run king on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Not only did Markakis play the position flawlessly, but he drove in two runs and ended the game with a deft opposite-field single to left. "It was an interesting day. Long day," Markakis said. "Get to the ballpark, Hey, you are playing first base. All right, strap it up and lets go. Its always fun. Its a different view of the game, a different look. It definitely goes a lot quicker in the infield than the outfield." The Orioles went eight straight innings without scoring before facing Duffy, who had pitched 8 1-3 scoreless innings on the season. After Duffy (1-1) hit Jonathan Schoop to begin the 10th, the left-hander threw wildly to second base after fielding a bunt by David Lough. Jemile Weeks followed with another bunt, and on this one Duffys throw went high and wide to first, loading the bases. "The boys battled their butts off all game and I came in and just wasnt sharp," Duffy said. "I got ahead of the first guy. I tried to go up-and-in on him. I thought it was a good pitch and the ball got away from me. Pitchers fielding practice, man. Its a simple game and I just wasnt sharp. I didnt do my job tonight." Louis Coleman replaced Duffy and struck out Nelson Cruz before Markakis delivered the game-winner. Zach Britton (3-0), the sixth Baltimore pitcher, struck out Jarrod Dyson with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the 10th. Kansas City fell to 0-12 when failing to score at least four runs. The Royals -- who stranded 11 and went 3 for 11 with runners in scoring posittion -- are 11-0 when scoring four or more runs.dddddddddddd Knowing they would be without Davis, the Orioles recalled Weeks from Triple-A Norfolk to provide an extra bat. Markakis, meanwhile, played his fourth career game at first base. "He didnt bat an eye," manager Buck Showalter said. "He looks at it as a way to make a contribution. Theres a lot of Gold Glove right fielders who would have broke out in hives if you asked them to play first base." Jeremy Guthrie started for Kansas City and gave up two runs before getting two outs, and then blanked his former team over the next six innings before leaving with the game tied. The right-hander finished up by getting David Lough to hit into a double play with runners on the corners and one out in the seventh. "We did a nice job of getting back in that game after Guthrie gave up two runs in the first," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He settled down unbelievably. He did a great job of pitching out of a jam in the seventh inning." Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen allowed two runs, nine hits and two walks over a season-high seven innings. The left-hander ended his outing with his sixth strikeout, against Alex Gordon with two on and two outs. The Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the first. Weeks hit a leadoff single in his first at-bat with Baltimore, Cruz walked and Markakis delivered an RBI single before Adam Jones drove in a run by hitting into a fielders choice. The Royals used doubles by Alcides Escobar and Eric Hosmer to get a run in the third. Chen avoided further damage by retiring Gordon on a grounder with the bases loaded and two outs. After Weeks tripled with two outs in the fifth and Cruz looked at a third strike, Kansas City pulled even in the sixth. Gordon singled and Danny Valencia beat out a chopper to third before Justin Maxwell blooped a two-out RBI single to centre. NOTES: Orioles C Matt Wieters went hitless after getting at least two hits in four straight games. ... Miguel Gonzalez will pitch for the Orioles in Sundays series finale against James Shields, whos 9-7 in 24 career starts against Baltimore. ... Guthrie is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles. ... Escobar hurt his knee in the 10th inning on Schoops slide into second base, but he stayed in the game and Yost said, "I think hes going to be all right." ' ' '