---------------------------------------- COLORADO 2 0 1 --3 EDMONTON 2 1 1 --4 ---------------------------------------- FIRST PERIOD Scoring: 1, Edmonton, Shawn Horcoff 1 (Jason Smith), 0:24. 2, Colorado, Brett Clark 1 (Bob Boughner, Brett McLean), 5:51. 3, Edmonton, Ryan Smyth 1 (Radek Dvorak), 6:16. 4, Colorado, Antti Laaksonen 1 (Ian Laperriere, Rob Blake), 8:42. Penalties: J Sakic, Col (holding), 16:30; R Smyth, Edm (goalie interference), 18:35; P Brisebois, Col (interference), 18:35. SECOND PERIOD Scoring: 5, Edmonton, Jarret Stoll 1 (power play) (Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth), 16:59. Penalties: O Vaananen, Col (hooking), 0:54; D Hinote, Col (boarding), 2:34; I Ulanov, Edm (interference), 8:40; P Brisebois, Col (holding), 16:11; A Brunette, Col (delay of game), 17:33; S Staios, Edm (interference), 19:11. THIRD PERIOD Scoring: 6, Colorado, Patrice Brisebois 1 (Alex Tanguay, Pierre Turgeon), 12:40. 7, Edmonton, Shawn Horcoff 2 (Radek Dvorak, Ryan Smyth), 16:42. Penalties: M Reasoner, Edm (delay of game), 5:44; A Laaksonen, Col (interference), 8:33; J Sakic, Col (hooking), 14:35. Shots on goal: ---------------------------------------- Colorado 7 2 8 --17 Edmonton 11 14 6 --31 ---------------------------------------- Power-play Conversions: COL - 0 of 3, EDM - 1 of 7. Goalies: Colorado, David Aebischer (31 shots, 27 saves; record: 0-1-0). Edmonton, Ty Conklin (17 shots, 14 saves; record: 1-0-0). A: 18,300. Referees: Mick McGeough, Brad Meier. Linesmen: Lonnie Cameron, Don Henderson.EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - Shawn Horcoff got the season off to a great start and then impressively wrapped up Edmonton's first game.
Horcoff, who has moved from third-line center to starter, scored 24 seconds into the game and then added the game-winner with 3:18 to play as the Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Wednesday night.
``I have never really been in an offensive role here before,'' said the 27-year-old Horcoff, who is entering his fifth season with Edmonton. ``I paid my dues.''
Ryan Smyth had a goal and two assists and Jarret Stoll also scored for Edmonton in front of a sellout crowd of 16,839 at Rexall Place
``Our fans feed off that energy like no other team,'' Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. ``We're off to a good start.''
Brent Clark and newcomers Antti Laaksonen and Patrice Brisebois scored for Colorado.
Stoll scored on Edmonton's fourth power play of the second period on a one-timer past David Aebischher, who faced 31 shots.
Edmonton was 1-for-7 with the man advantage while Colorado was 0-for-3.
Horcoff, who started the game centering Smyth and Radek Dvorak, set a franchise record for the fastest goal a season when he batted the puck past Aebischer in a crowd.
Smyth then tipped a shot by Dvorak past Aebischer just under six minutes later.
``It was close, but we were always down,'' Aebischer said. ``It was one game.''
Goals by Clark and Laaksonen came in the first five shots at Oilers goalie Ty Conklin, who had a 4.87 goals-against average and .830 save percentage in five preseason appearances.
Brisebois beat Conklin on Colorado's 14th shot of the game in the third period to tie the game 3-3.
But Conklin, who finished with 14 saves, stopped Pierre Turgeon at the side of the net in the final minute to preserve the win.
Fans were treated to a glitzy red carpet at the entrance to Rexall Place followed by a 30-minute pre-game ceremony featuring backlit bagpipers, fireworks and a video retrospective of the Oilers glory days.
``I had chills,'' said Horcoff, who spent a portion of the 17-month break because of the lockout playing in the Swedish Elite League. ``How could you not feel energetic after that?''
Notes: Edmonton G Jussi Markkannen is expected to be activated Thursday, having recovered from a broken collarbone. ... The fastest season-opening goal in the NHL was scored at 10 seconds by Kent Nilsson, then of Minnesota, in a 4-4 tie with Quebec on Oct. 11, 1986. Nilsson is now a scout for the Oilers.