DENVER -- Phil Kessel keeps scoring and the Toronto Maple Leafs keep on winning. That four-game skid in early January seems as if its a long time ago. Kessel scored twice, James van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist and the Maple Leafs beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight win. Nazem Kadri also scored and James Reimer stopped 35 shots for Toronto. Kessel has been one of the hottest players in the league over the past 12 days, and it came at the right time for his team. The Maple Leafs were struggling when Kessel started scoring. He has six goals and eight assists during Torontos winning streak. "With Phil, if he continues to get chances, hes got a history behind him and he knows how to score goals," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. The Maple Leafs are on their longest winning streak in eight years after losing four in a row. Toronto has climbed to fourth in the Eastern Conference during its win streak. The previous time Toronto won six straight was Dec. 23, 2005-Jan. 2, 2006. "Theres a lot more life in the room," defenceman Dion Phaneuf said. "Weve got a confidence in our dressing room that we feel good about ourselves." Kessel was playing for the University of Minnesota during Torontos previous six-game winning streak, but now hes leading the way for the Leafs ahead of the Sochi Olympics next month, where he will be part of Team USA once again. "Were winning, thats the most important thing," Kessel said. Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals for the Avalanche, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere had 19 saves in relief of Semyon Varlamov. "We lost the game in the second period," MacKinnon said. "Their goalie made some good saves for them. Weve been playing well of late, but we cant let this game get us down too much." Colorado generated more early chances but Toronto scored first. Phaneuf sent a puck from his own end off the backboards and Kessel, who got behind the Avalanche defence, put a soft shot past Varlamov 3:56 into the game. "Dion made a good play, I kind of whiffed on it but it went in," Kessel said. The Avalanche failed to capitalize on two early power plays, and the Maple Leafs made it 2-0 on their first try on van Riemsdyks 20th goal at 17:41. Kadri redirected Jake Gardiners shot from the point 2:55 into the second period, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead and chasing Varlamov. Varlamov allowed three goals on 10 shots. "I think Varly was just a bit tired," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "I almost took him out after the first period. I didnt see in him the same energy that hes shown since the start of the year. When he gave up that third goal theres no need to push that." Giguere came in and Kessel made it 4-0 with his second of the night and team-leading 26th of the season. He nearly had his second hat trick of the season, but was denied by Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the third. Kessel finished with eight shots on goal. "I had a bunch tonight," Kessel said. "I missed some good chances." Giguere settled down, and the Avalanche finally got on the board when MacKinnon scored on a 2-on-1 break with P.A. Parenteau at 18:35 of the second period. Colorado turned up the pressure in the third and scored again on MacKinnons high wrist shot at 5:07. It was his 17th goal of the season. Colorado pulled Giguere for an extra skater with 2:56 remaining, but Jay McClement scored into the empty net to seal the win. "We played a decent enough of a hockey game to give ourselves a chance," Carlyle said. "The home teams going to come with a push and we withstood that." NOTES: Toronto RW Joffrey Lupul had two assists. ... Kessel extended his point streak to seven games. ... The Avalanche honoured referee Brad Watson before the game. Watson was officiating in his 1,000th NHL game. ... Colorado activated Parenteau and D Nate Guenin from the injured list. Parenteau missed 10 games with a sprained left knee and Guenin was out for seven games with an ankle injury. Nike Zoom Wholesale .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Nike Zoom Online Shop . Saskatchewans Darian Durant is expected to miss the rest of the Roughriders season with a torn tendon in his right elbow. The 32-year-old, who will undergo surgery in the next couple days to repair the injury, was added to the teams six-game injury list Tuesday. http://www.nikezoomoutlet.com/. Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Nike Zoom Clearance .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night. Nike Zoom China Wholesale . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin.NEW YORK -- Taylor Teagarden had no idea how much of a relief his grand slam was to the scuffling New York Mets until his teammates were congratulating him for the rare hit with the bases loaded. Teagarden homered in his Mets debut, Daniel Murphy had a two-run shot and New York beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Tuesday night to snap a six-game skid. "If I could help get the monkey off the back, whatever it takes," Teagarden said. Called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday to replace demoted catcher Travis dArnaud, Teagarden connected for his second career slam after Marco Estrada walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning. The 30-year-old Teagarden had struck out in his first two at-bats. He said his teammates let him know just how poorly theyve done with the bases loaded after he returned to the dugout. Playing in front of a season-low Citi Field crowd of 20,206 that booed Ryan Braun in each of his four plate appearances, the Mets improved to 11 for 64 (.172) with the sacks full. "He didnt know you werent supposed to get a hit," manager Terry Collins said with a big grin. Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-0) pitched six effective innings and Murphy homered off Estrada in the third. Before the game, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Collins job is secure after the team returned from a 4-7 road trip a season-worst seven games under .500. Outhit 6-5, the Mets scored their most runs in 16 home games since a 7-6 loss in 10 innings to Miami on April 26. Matsuzaka was hit high on the outside of his right thigh by a line drive in the sixth. Making his third start of the year, the right-hander recovered to throw out Carlos Gomez and finished the inning. Collins said the plan was to send Matsuzaka out for the start of the seventh because he was at 100 pitches. "Pitch-count wise I think I wouldve been able to go into the next inning fine," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "Right now its not too bad, but it should start swelling I think by tomorrow, so well see what happens." Estrada (5-3) has given up a major league-worst 20 homers this season, and both long balls Tuesday followed walkss.dddddddddddd "I threw a lot of close pitches. Guys just laid off of them," Estrada said. "I dont understand why Im walking so many guys right now. Ive got to figure this out now because its getting out of hand." Murphy connected after Ruben Tejada walked with two outs in the third, the ball just clearing the right field wall for a 2-0 lead. Murphy, who spent his off day Monday participating in a White House summit on working families, has five homers. The Brewers cut the lead in half in the fourth after Khris Davis was hit by a pitch from Matsuzaka. Running on a full-count pitch to Lyle Overbay, Davis scored from first when Overbay hit a sharp grounder inside first base for a run-scoring double. Matsuzaka, however, kept the NL Central leaders in check. He allowed three hits and three walks, striking out five. Estrada walked David Wright and Curtis Granderson with one out in the sixth. After Chris Young struck out, Lucas Duda walked to load the bases. Teagardens drive hit off the top of the wall down the right field line and ricocheted into the seats for his first slam since 2008 with Texas. "I think the at-bats leading up were really good, too," Murphy said. Gomez, traded by the Mets to Minnesota as part of the deal that brought Johan Santana to New York in February 2008, had an RBI double in the eighth off Jeurys Familia. NOTES: Mets RHP Matt Harvey (Tommy John surgery) was scheduled to throw off a slope but that was pushed back. Alderson said Harvey is doing well. The schedule was changed because the teams doctors didnt want Harvey pitching too soon. ... Mets RHP Gonzalez Germen (virus and abscess) was activated from the 15-day DL after the game. LHP Scott Rice was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... OF Eric Young Jr. (hamstring) has started running, but not at full speed. He has also been hitting. ... Brewers RHP Tyler Thornburg (elbow soreness) had an MRI. Manager Ron Roenicke said the team is waiting for a radiologist to examine the results before revealing anything. He did say its not an injury that would require Tommy John surgery. ' ' '