DENVER -- Semyon Varlamov and the Colorado Avalanche found a cure for their first slump of the season -- play the Stanley Cup champs. Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell also scored during Colorados three-goal first period. P.A. Parenteau and Cody McLeod added goals in the second and third for Colorado, which snapped a three-game skid. "You always say a win is a win, and it is. But at the same time our strength is our team morale and confidence," Landeskog said. "It feels good. It doesnt mean anything unless we go into Phoenix and play well." Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks, who failed to get at least two goals for the first time this season. Colorado ended Chicagos NHL-record streak of 24 consecutive games with at least a point to start a season in a 6-2 win last March. "Maybe we tend to respect them a little more than other teams, which we shouldnt," Stastny said. "We should respect everyone the same way. When youre young, that happens. Theyre the defending champs and you always want to play your best against the best." Antti Raanta made 14 saves in his NHL debut for the Blackhawks. He played the final 46:23 in relief of Corey Crawford, who allowed three goals on seven shots. "The target all the time was that someday I could play in the NHL, and in Rockford I had good games there, and I know I can do it," he said. "Only now its the small things, so we have to keep doing work and prepare to be even better all the time." The Blackhawks had their opportunities in outshooting Colorado 37-23. They had several quality chances to get back in the game in the second period but couldnt put one past Varlamov. Colorado stumbled after winning 14 of its first 16 games but capitalized on its chances in the first period this time. Stastny scored when Brent Seabrooks pass off the boards ricocheted to him in the slot, and he beat Crawford with a slap shot. Landeskog gave Colorado a two-goal lead when he redirected Andre Benoits shot from the point past Crawford with 7:39 left in the period. Just 56 seconds later, Mitchell made it 3-0. "We had a really good start. We were really sharp around the net and scored nice goals," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. Raanta, recalled Sunday, replaced Crawford after Mitchells goal. He faced only seven shots over the next 25 minutes but allowed his first goal late in the second period. After the Blackhawks had several strong chances in front of Varlamov, Parenteau skated down the left boards and beat Raanta with a shot from the circle to make it 4-0 with 1:22 left in the second. "The fourth goal was big for us. They were buzzing in our zone and Varly made some key saves for us," Roy said. "Youre always afraid being up 3-0 of having a letdown. But we were moving our feet." McLeod scored his first goal of the season on a rebound 1:44 into the third. Chicago lost forward Bryan Bickell in the first period after he crashed into the Avalanche net. He didnt return, and coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that Bickell might be more than day to day. "But Im not sure of that," Quenneville said. Its a tough blow for the Blackhawks, who are playing without forwards Michael Handzus and Marian Hossa. "Bicksie is obviously a big part of this and you hope its not too long," Kris Versteeg said. "Obviously, we need him in the lineup." NOTES: Colorado forward Maxime Talbot and defenceman Tyson Barrie had two assists each. ... There were only two penalties called in the game, one on each team. ... Avalanche C Matt Duchene is expected to miss at least a week with an oblique injury sustained in Saturdays loss to Florida. ... Hossa missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Colorado placed forward Alex Tanguay (knee) and defenceman Ryan Wilson (back) on injured reserve and recalled C Brad Malone and Barrie from Lake Erie of the AHL. Nolan Cromwell Youth Jersey . - Mark Sanchez found out the New York Jets had acquired Tim Tebow on a conference call with team management. David Long Jersey . Fielder ended 4-for-5 with a solo homer, while Avila was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for the Tigers, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and rebounded from a loss in Mondays opener. Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson both contributed two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Detroit maintained its healthy lead atop the AL Central. http://www.footballramsshop.us/authentic-darrell-henderson-rams-jersey/ . The ninth-seeded Safarova doused Swede Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-3 on the green clay at Family Circle Tennis Center. The Czech player was a finalist here two years ago and captured back-to-back doubles titles in 2012 and last year. Torry Holt Rams Jersey . - David Tomasek had two goals in regulation time and was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Belleville Bulls upset the Oshawa Generals 6-5 on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Aaron Donald Youth Jersey . - Steve Stricker usually doesnt show up at a tournament on Sunday.NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia is scheduled for season-ending surgery on his right knee next week, ending any hope of him returning to the New York Yankees ravaged rotation this year. Sabathia will have surgery Wednesday, and general manager Brian Cashman said he thinks "in theory" the big left-hander will be ready for spring training in February. But there is no guarantee Sabathia will be able to pitch effectively next season. "Given obviously the number of things that have gone on, well have to be careful with him," Cashman said Friday. "Hopefully next year will be a different story." The team all but ruled out Sabathia returning in 2014 after he had a setback early this month while he was on a minor league rehab assignment. He was hit hard July 2 in an outing for Double-A Trenton and woke up the next morning with swelling in the knee joint. One positive is that Sabathia, who turns 34 on Monday, will not have microfracture surgery Wednesday, which would require a longer recovery. Cashman said it will be an "arthroscopic debridement" -- basically, a cleanup procedure. The six-time All-Star and 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner has been out with a degenerative cartilage problem in his right knee since mid-May, when his ERA reached a career-high 5.28. "The rehab side of it which he went through, if you had three different options, that was the least," Cashman said. "Now were on the middle side of this thing, which is a cleanup of the knee, and hopefully thats good enough." The operation will be performed by Los Angeles Dodgers head physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Sabathia also had surgery on the knee in October 2010 to repair a small meniscus cartilage tear. After signing a $161 million, seven-year deal with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2009 season, Sabathia had his contract extended in 2011 by one year and $30 million. Making $23 million this season, Sabathia is scheduled to earn $23 million in 2015 and $25 milllion in 2016.dddddddddddd. The Yankees have a $25 million option on his deal for 2017 with a $5 million buyout. In other news, designated hitter Carlos Beltran was activated Friday from the seven-day concussion list. He batted sixth in the opener of a three-game interleague series against Cincinnati and hit an RBI single in the third inning. Rookie ace Masahiro Tanaka, sidelined with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow, wont begin a throwing program until hes pain-free. The Yankees hope he can avoid Tommy John surgery and return in September. Tanaka had a platelet-rich plasma injection. "Theres treatment, protocols, and when hes symptom-free hell start a throwing program, which obviously leads to bullpens, batting practices and hopefully rehab games. All of that has to happen without issue," Cashman said. "I know hes feeling better, but he doesnt feel symptom-free." Michael Pineda (right shoulder muscle injury) is throwing "very well" in Florida and the Yankees hope he can come back in August, Cashman said. The injuries to Sabathia, Tanaka, Pineda and Ivan Nova (season-ending Tommy John surgery) have left the third-place Yankees without four-fifths of their opening-day rotation. Hiroki Kuroda is the only one left, teaming with David Phelps, newcomer Brandon McCarthy and rookies Chase Whitley and Shane Greene to fill out a makeshift unit. Beltran was hit in the face with a ball that caromed off the batting cage July 9 in Cleveland and broke his nose. He said he was never told by a doctor that he had a concussion, but the Yankees were concerned and wanted to make sure he was OK. The club opened a roster spot for Beltran just before the All-Star break when right-hander Bryan Mitchell was optioned to Double-A Trenton after Sunday nights loss in Baltimore. The Yankees also announced they will honour captain Derek Jeter during a pregame ceremony Sept. 7. Jeter is retiring after the season. ' ' '