DENVER (CP) - After a night of feeling the wrath of a boisterous crowd, Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi was in no mood to seek forgiveness.

A noisy crowd heaped abuse on Bertuzzi in his return to the Pepsi Centre while the Colorado Avalanche buried the Canucks 6-2 on Thursday night. Looking weary and edgy, Bertuzzi rolled his eyes when asked if the Colorado fans would ever forgive him for his hit that may have ended Steve Moore's career, and did he care if they did. "It is what it is," Bertuzzi said curtly. "Read into it. Is is what it is. What am I going to do about it?"
It was Bertuzzi's first game in Denver since his March 8, 2004, punch from behind that broke bones in Moore's neck. Moore's hockey career remains in doubt because of post-concussion symptoms.

The Canucks were flat and played without emotion for 40 minutes before outshooting the Avalanche 23-0 in the third period. After looking uninspired for the first two periods, Bertuzzi had three good scoring chances in the third when the Canucks were down by four goals.

"It's a little late when the game is out of hand," said Bertuzzi, who finished the night at minus-2. "I had the chances. I just couldn't put them in."

Pierre Turgeon scored twice for Colorado, once on the power play, and Milan Hejduk collected his 200th career goal as the Avs steamrolled over the Canucks. The win was the third in four games for the Avalanche, who improved to 5-4-1.

A thunderous chorus of boos rained down on Bertuzzi like a monsoon every time the big Canuck forward stepped on the ice. There were chants of "Bertuzzi sucks" as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Bertuzzi refused to say if the hostile reception bothered him. He admitted to being frustrated over the way the Canucks surrendered the game.

"I'm frustrated we didn't get the two points," said Bertuzzi, who picked up his seventh assist of the season on Ryan Kesler's third-period goal.

"The two points were the key here tonight.

"I'm not pleased with our effort. In the first two periods, we stayed back on our heels and let them come to us. That was the game there, in the first two periods."

Centre Brendan Morrison said the Canucks weren't surprised by crowd's disdain for Bertuzzi.

"We knew it was going to be like this," said Morrison. "We just didn't compete early on."

Vancouver captain Markus Naslund said the Canucks weren't distracted by the undercurrents surrounding the game.

"That wasn't the reason we played terrible," said Naslund.

"I really don't have the answer why we came out like that."

Ian Laperriere and Steve Konowalchuk also scored for Colorado, who snapped Vancouver's six-game win streak. Andrew Brunette had three assists and John-Michael Liles a pair.

Henrik Sedin also scored for Vancouver who dropped to 8-2-1.

For the first 40 minutes Bertuzzi often seemed to skate on the edge of the play. He didn't seem interested in being physical or parking himself in front of the Avs net.

The Avalanche players seemed to take delight in unloading on Bertuzzi.

In the first period Ossi Vaananen rammed him into the boards with a hit that shook the glass. In the second period the crowd screamed with joy when Rob Blake put a shoulder into Bertuzzi, dumping him onto the ice.

"Hey, we play professional sports. There's so much emotion," said Avs forward Brad May, a former Canuck. "This was a great place to be tonight as an athlete. Booing. Cheering. Sometimes it's bad, sometimes it's great. It was just good to get a win."

Many in the crowd of 18,007 sent Bertuzzi not-so-settle messages.

Four fans wore black-white stripped prison uniforms and held up cardboard jail bars. At the other end of the rink another group sported neck braces.

During the pre-game skate two men in orange overalls - one with 'Bertuzzi county jail' written on the back - stood by the glass near the Canuck goal. Every time Bertuzzi skated by they heckled him.

"I don't know if the reaction played a large role in the outcome," Canucks centre Trevor Linden said. "We knew it was going to be like this. It was no secret."

Bertuzzi's hit on Moore resulted in a 17-month suspension. He also was charged in Vancouver and later pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm. He received a conditional discharge.

There were Bertuzzi fans at the game.

Nicole Horning, of Saskatoon, showed up wearing a Bertuzzi jersey. She waved a Canuck flag at the glass until a security guard asked her to put it away.

Bad blood had boiled between the Canucks and Avs prior to Bertuzzi's attack on Moore.

In an earlier game Moore had caught Naslund with his head down and delivered a hit that left the Canuck captain with a concussion. There was no penalty called on the play.

The Canucks and Avalanche play again in Denver on Saturday night in a game shown on Hockey Night in Canada.

"We have to regroup and have a hard practice tomorrow and get ourselves prepared," said Bertuzzi. "We're a team that bounces back pretty good and we expect that Saturday."

Notes: - During the morning skate Morrison came onto the ice wearing a fuzzy black wig he'd bought at a costume store the night before. Morrison said he wanted to lighten up the practice . . . In the previous six games the Canucks were 12-for-53 on the power play . . . Richard Park came into Denver scoreless in six games.