Stastny’s five-point night lifts Avs

DENVER – Paul Stastny had a goal and four assists and Milan Hejduk scored twice and set up another tally as the Colorado Avalanche broke open a tight game with four third-period goals and beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 Sunday night.

Avalanche captain Joe Sakic had a goal and assist to move past Phil Esposito into eighth on the NHL career points list with 1,591.

Stastny, the runner-up to Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin for rookie of the year honors last season, has four goals and four assists in Colorado’s first three games.

He had a hat trick in the Avalanche’s season-opening win against Dallas on Wednesday.

Hejduk scored late in the first period, less than three minutes after Sakic notched the 611th goal of his 19-year career.

The Avalanche poured it on in the third after Ryan Clowe scored the first of his two goals to make 2-1 after two periods.

Just 52 seconds into the final frame, Hejduk found Stastny in front to give Colorado a two-goal cushion.

Hejduk scored 1:55 later, and the rout was on. Marek Svatos and Ryan Smyth scored 18 seconds apart midway through the third to make it 6-1 and chase goalie Evgeni Nabokov.