DENVER — Jason Blake’s goal early in the third period snapped a tie, and Dominic Moore scored twice for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who broke a four-game losing streak by beating the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 on Thursday night.
Nik Antropov, Mikhail Grabovski, Jeff Finger and Matt Stajan also scored for Toronto, and Vesa Toskala made 17 saves. It was the most goals the Avalanche have allowed this season.
Milan Hejduk scored twice for the Avalanche, his second multigoal game this season. Chris Stewart and John-Michael Liles added in goals for Colorado, which has dropped six of seven.
Stajan and Moore scored late for the Maple Leafs, 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.
Blake took advantage of an Avalanche turnover to score his 16th goal.
Moments later, Hejduk scored what he thought was the tying goal, and hats hit the ice as fans celebrated what they thought was a third goal. However, Ryan Smyth was called for goaltender interference, nullifying the score. Replays showed that Smyth was checked from behind by Luke Schenn, causing the collision with Toskala.
The teams combined for five goals in the second period, including two that were reviewed.
Hejduk had a shot that was ruled no goal after Toskala appeared to clear the puck away from the goal line with his stick. An overhead shot showed the puck crossing the line, though, and Hejduk was awarded the goal.
After former Colorado defenseman Jeff Finger scored later in the period, officials took a second glance. Not at Finger’s slap shot — which was clearly good — but whether John Mitchell’s drive off the left post 32 seconds earlier went in.
It didn’t and Finger was credited with his first goal since Dec. 1 at Los Angeles.
Grabovski scored on a power play in the second period, his 13th goal this season. The Avalanche have given up a power-play goal in nine straight games.
Avalanche players Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft faced the team that bought out their contracts last summer. The 33-year-old Tucker insisted there were no hard feelings.
Tucker played with the Maple Leafs for 7½ seasons, scoring 148 goals. Only Mats Sundin (259) had more goals for Toronto in that period. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up with his old mates. Tucker and Jamal Mayers got into a pushing match in the first period.
Raycroft was roughed up by the Leafs, giving up seven goals on 30 shots.
Stewart showed no lingering affects from a recent bout with the flu, scoring his seventh goal off a precise pass from T.J. Hensick.
The Maple Leafs scored on their first shot as Antropov deked Raycroft and sent the puck past him 1:52 into the game.
Notes: The Avalanche activated F Cody McCormick from injured
reserve. He missed 15 games with a foot injury. … Colorado D Kyle Cumiskey left 26 seconds in the first period with a shoulder injury. … Toronto played at the Pepsi Center for only the second time since the arena was opened in 1999.
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