Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - Cody McLeod scored twice to lead the Colorado Avalanche to an easy 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Pepsi Center.

Marek Svatos, Milan Hejduk, Ryan Smyth and Chris Stewart also scored for the Avalanche, who have captured four of their last six games. Peter Budaj stopped 29 shots in the victory.

Oscar Moller's power-play goal in the second period was the only offense for Los Angeles, which fell to 1-3-1 in December. Jason LaBarbera allowed six goals on 26 shots for LA.

"It was a (expletive) effort by everyone," said LaBarbera.

The Avalanche scored twice within a 25-second span in the early stages of the first period for a 2-0 lead.

After Svatos punched home a rebound at the left post following a scramble in front 3:28 into the game, Hejduk's 12th goal of the season pushed the Colorado lead to two. Paul Stastny, stationed behind the net near the right post, slid a pass into the crease area for Hejduk, whose one-timer snap shot from the inner rim of the lower left circle easily beat LaBarbera 25 ticks after the Svatos tally.

"We weren't ready from the start," said LaBarbera. "They got all the bounces."

Later in the opening stanza, McLeod's fourth goal made it 3-0. LaBarbera made a nice pad save on a blast from the point, but failed to control the rebound. McLeod fought for position below the right circle and slid home a backhander as he was falling to the ice.

Smyth's 10th goal of the season pushed the Colorado lead to four 2:11 into the middle session. Skating on the power play, the Avs worked the puck around the perimeter until T.J. Hensick held control behind the net along the rear boards. Hensick then sent a quick pass into the crease area, where Smyth easily redirected it into the back of the cage.

Less than three minutes later, Colorado led 5-0 on McLeod's second marker of the game.

At the 11:18 mark of the second, the onslaught continued when Stewart netted his first career goal. With the Kings on the power play due to a tripping minor called on Ruslan Salei, a loose puck was batted in midair by Ian Laperriere's glove -- a legal move in the defensive zone -- and the disc fluttered in the neutral zone. Stewart won the race for the puck and lit the lamp on a clear breakaway.

"The puck was rolling and then it slowed down for me and then I put it in," Stewart explained. "Christmas came early."

Game Notes

Colorado has won four straight versus the Kings...The Avs improved to 8-5-0 at home this season and have won four in a row at Pepsi Center...The Kings will begin a four-game homestand Thursday against St. Louis...The line of Hejduk- Stastney-Smyth has eight goals and 14 points in the last five games...This marked the first two-goal game of McLeod's career...Moller leads all NHL rookies in power-play goals with five...LA forward Derek Armstrong left the game in the first period with an upper body injury and did not return. For the Avs on the injury front, Svatos left the contest with a back injury and did not return...Both teams finished 1-for-4 on the power play.