DENVER, April 20 (UPI) -- Peter Forsberg scored the tying goal midway through the second period and set up two others Saturday as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings and a two games to none lead in their Western Conference quarterfinal series.
Arguably hockey's best two-way player, Forsberg returned from an 11-month absence Thursday and picked up a pair of assists as the defending Stanley Cup champions opened the series with a 4-3 triumph. He produced another multi-point effort in Game 2, helping Colorado overcome deficits of 2-1 and 3-2.
"Personally, I felt better," Forsberg said. "My legs were going better, so it's a step in the right direction. I don't look at what I did personally. We won the game, and that's what really matters."
"Peter seems very comfortable out there. It doesn't seem like he's missed any time at all," said Avalanche center Chris Drury, who scored an insurance goal in the third period.
With 8:55 left in the second period, Forsberg collected his own rebound and tucked the puck inside the right goalpost to forge a 3-3 tie. It was his first goal since Game 4 of last year's conference semifinals against Los Angeles. The Swedish superstar underwent an emergency splenectomy after that series and battled foot injuries that sidelined him for the entire regular season.
"It doesn't look like he's even lost a step," said Kings defenseman Aaron Miller, who was acquired from Colorado late last season.
Former King Steven Reinprecht put the Avalanche ahead for good with 3:15 left in the second. Joe Sakic carried the puck into the Kings' zone, pulled up at the top of the right faceoff circle and flipped a pass into the low slot. Reinprecht chopped it down and between the pads of goaltender Felix Potvin for his second goal of the series.
"I just saw Joe coming into the zone with speed, so I just kind of tried to get some speed in the neutral zone and go to the net," Reinprecht said. "He just threw it toward the net and I was able to get my stick on it and knock it down."
Forsberg set up the insurance goal 8:45 into the third with a backhanded pass off the boards to Drury, who blasted a one-timer from the top of the right circle past Potvin for his first playoff goal.
"That was certainly a nice play from Peter," Drury said. "I don't think we said anything to each other. We just kind of knew what each other was thinking. That was a nice feeling."
Adam Deadmarsh had a goal and an assist against his former team for Los Angeles, which hosts Game 3 on Monday. Last year, the Kings lost the first two games of the conference quarterfinals on the road before reeling off four straight wins to elminate powerful Detroit.
"We need to play a little smarter," Los Angeles center Jason Allison said. "It's not that we're battling hard, we're not making all the little plays that we should be making and it's costing us goals. The way we've played in the two games, I know we can win."
"When we go to LA, it's going to be a different story," Sakic said. "It's going to be a lot tougher. The first two games were skating and more wide-open, but we expect that to change."
Sakic started the scoring 7:01 into the opening period, but Deadmarsh tied it 22 seconds later and Mikko Eloranta had a tap-in to put the Kings in front at 13:13. Sakic's power-play goal forged a 2-2 deadlock 4:23 before the first intermission.
"It is exciting, but at the same time, we have got to tighten up," Los Angeles center Bryan Smolinski said. "We're giving their better players a lot of space, and obviously, it shows on the scoresheet."
Allison got his first goal of the series at 8:43 of the second, stuffing in a rebound of a shot by Ziggy Palffy, who has four points in two games.
"We've played really well, it's a little disheartening," Allison said. "But at the same time, we have some confidence going back (home) that we can score some goals. We just have to tighten up."
Patrick Roy made 28 saves and helped Colorado kill both Kings' power plays. Potvin stopped 33 shots.
