DENVER -- The Vancouver Canucks gave their traveling companions an early Mother's Day present Tuesday night.

Center Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist, goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves and added an assist, and the Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in front of most of the players' mothers.

Defenseman Matt Bartkowski and left winger Sven Baertschi also had goals for Vancouver (21-20-12).

The team invited the players' mothers on the two-game trip to Colorado and Arizona, where the Canucks play Wednesday. The guests saw the team snap a four-game winless streak with a strong performance, especially near the end.

"We played real well in the third period," Baertschi said. "The first period wasn't our best, but then I thought we progressed the rest of the way. And the third period was our best."

Defenseman Ben Hutton had two assists to give Vancouver four points from the blue-liners.

"We have the ability to do that," defenseman Luca Sbisa said. "We're all pretty good skaters, we have decent puck skills. It's coming around. We've been playing decent hockey the last three or four games, but we didn't find a way to win. Tonight we did."

It wasn't all good news for the Canucks. Center Brandon Sutter took a puck to the face in the second period and did not return. Defenseman Alexander Edler also left in the second period with an undisclosed injury.

"Both of them we'll have to evaluate (Wednesday) to make sure where we're at, but it looks like it might be a little bit of time for both of them," Vancouver coach William Desjardins said.

Defenseman Francois Beauchemin scored and goalie Semyon Varlamov had 25 saves for Colorado.

The struggling Avalanche finished their homestand 0-3-1 and now play five of their next seven on the road. Colorado (27-25-4) had gone 18-8-2 in December and January to move into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche have stumbled since the All-Star break.

"You have to find a solution, you have to find ways to bounce back and play better hockey," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "We had four games at home, we had a good opportunity to pick up some big wins and we didn't do it."

They had a chance until Horvat gave the Canucks a two-goal cushion at 4:30 of the third. Sbisa took the puck from behind the Vancouver net through the Avalanche players and fed Horvat for a snap shot to make it 3-1.

It was his 10th of the season.

"I saw open ice, they misplayed it a bit, took the ice and it ended up in the net," Sbisa said. "Bo put a great shot on net."

Varlamov went off for an extra skater with 3:25 left, but the Avalanche couldn't score.

The Avalanche had three consecutive power plays toward the end of the first period, including a combined 1:25 of five-on-three play, but they couldn't score.

"Great opportunity there to take a commanding lead, we just weren't good enough," Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog said.

They finally broke less than a minute after Vancouver killed off the last of its penalties. Right winger Jarome Iginla got the puck behind the net and fed Beauchemin pinching in from the point. The defenseman's one-timer beat Markstrom high at 2:26 of the second for his seventh of the season.

The Canucks tied it midway through the period just as their first power play ended. Bartkowski took a pass from left winger Alexandre Burrows in the slot and beat Varlamov with a snap shot at 9:43. It was his third.

Vancouver went ahead 2-1 at 16:22 of the second when Baertschi knocked in defenseman Ben Hutton's rebound. Roy challenged the ruling for goaltender interference, but the goal held up under review.

"I thought that Tyson (Barrie) was pushed into the goalie," Roy said. "That's the reason why Varly could not make the save."

NOTES: Avalanche RW Jack Skille missed his second game in a row with a concussion. Skille sustained the concussion in the third period of Colorado's overtime loss to Dallas last week. He has seven goals and five assists in his first season with Colorado. ... After going 0-for-1 with the man advantage Tuesday, the Canucks are 1-for-13 on the power play in the past nine games. ... Colorado D Nick Holden is wearing a full face shield to protect the broken nose sustained when he was hit on a high stick by Winnipeg RW Drew Stafford on Saturday. ... Vancouver RW Radim Vrbata started Tuesday's game on the fourth line. The former Avalanche player had one goal in his previous 18 games.