NHL: Colorado 4, Dallas 1

DALLAS, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A pair of third-period goals by Chris Stewart and 39 saves by Peter Budaj carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 win over Dallas Saturday.

Chris Durno and Milan Hejduk also scored for the Avalanche, who have won three of their last four games.

Steve Ott tallied the Dallas goal and Alex Auld made 29 saves.

Durno put the Avalanche ahead 1-0 in the first period when his pass from behind the net struck Auld's stick and bounced into the net. The goal was the first of Durno's NHL career.

"It was a tough bounce to start the game and they took it to us after that," Auld said.

Colorado took a 2-0 lead with 5:56 left in the second period on Hejduk's goal.

After Ott scored at 7:44 of the third period, Stewart notched a goal on a wrist shot with 6:26 left to play and added an empty-net score in the final minute of the contest.