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DENVER (Ticker) -- Alexei Gusarov scored his first goal of the season and fellow defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh got his seventh this month as the Colorado Avalanche handed the Los Angeles Kings their sixth straight loss, 4-2. Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic, rarely healthy at the same time this season, collected two assists apiece to help the Avalanche (18-16-4) match a season high by moving two games over .500. Ozolinsh's power-play tally 2:20 into the second period turned out to be the game-winner. With Kings rookie defenseman Jere Karalahti in the penalty box for kneeing, Ozolinsh's low wrist shot from the left faceoff circle beat goaltender Stephane Fiset to the stick side. It gave him nine goals and 19 assists in his last 29 games and restored Colorado's two-goal lead at 3-1. Patrick Roy stopped 28 shots to improve to 4-1-1 in his last six games against Los Angeles and 17-10-5 lifetime. "It was important to go out and win against them. We had some real trouble with them earlier this year," Roy said. "The 2-0 lead was really key. It seemed like all of us were ready for this game." Luc Robitaille scored both goals for the Kings, who are mired in their worst slide since losing seven straight in December 1987. "We don't have any problems here, we just have to win," Los Angeles coach Andy Murray said. "Guys are paid in this league to win. I refuse to allow my players to talk about confidence, it is the most overrated word." "When you're on a losing streak like we are on, it's not just one thing. It takes one or two games to get back on track," defenseman Mattias Norstrom added. Brian Rolston put the Avalanche ahead for good 4:54 into the first period. Fiset got a piece of his wrist shot from the right circle but the puck trickled inside the left goalpost. "We're feeling good as a team right now, winning our home games," Rolston said. "To go out and get that first goal was big. We went out and played a full 60 minutes tonight, especially defensively." Fiset also got a piece of Gusarov's wrister from the right point but it deflected in off the goalie's thigh. It was Gusarov's first goal since April 11. Robitaille got the Kings on the board with a power-play goal at 13:52. He scored again with 4:29 to go in the third period, deflecting Karalahti's shot from above the right circle. Sakic executed a perfect 2-on-1 to seal the victory, passing across the slot to Adam Deadmarsh, who whipped a shot past Fiset for his eighth goal with 1:01 left.
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