Bodog Beat

Joe Sakic had a pair of assists in a Saturday afternoon Avalanche win. (AP Image)

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars in the first game of the NHL schedule on Saturday, thanks to a pair of goals from veteran Milan Hejduk.

The game, which saw four different Avalanche goal scorers included two-assist games from Paul Stastny, Joe Sakic and Wojtek Wolski.

After striking just over six minutes into the first, Hejduk was joined on the score sheet by former Maple Leaf Darcy Tucker. A pair of powerplay goals later (one from Hejduk, the other from Ryan Smythe) and the Avs had all they needed to take a  4-2 lead into the final minutes of the second.

The Stars, led by Loui Eriksson and Brad Richards, would make a push in the third period but eventually fall.

Elsewhere on the NHL schedule, the Toronto Maple Leafs take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers try their luck against the reigning champion Detroit Red Wings, and the Calgary Flames duke it out with Alberta rival Edmonton.

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