PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon has been compared to Sidney Crosby for much of his life. The two grew up in the same Canadian town and both went No. 1 in the NHL draft.

Now they get to take a much closer look at each other.

MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche visit Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night in the first NHL matchup of the pride of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

The Avalanche and Penguins are each off to a 7-1 start, with MacKinnon and Crosby playing a key role. The 26-year-old Crosby has seven goals and 10 assists for a league-best 17 points. MacKinnon, who turned 18 on Sept. 1, has a goal and six assists.

MacKinnon called Crosby the best player in the world and said the center is “on fire right now.” But MacKinnon is focused on what he needs to do to help the Avalanche get another win.

“Any time he’s out there when you’re not on the ice, you sometimes get to enjoy and watch some good players when you’re playing against them,” he said. “But when you’re out there, you don’t worry about who you’re playing against. You worry about what you have to do.”

Crosby knows a lot about what MacKinnon is going through in his first year in the NHL. Crosby, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, faced high expectations when he was an 18-year-old rookie and had 102 points in his first season with Pittsburgh.

MacKinnon became one of the league’s top prospects when he starred for Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the previous two seasons. He was the most valuable player of the Memorial Cup in May, leading his team to the title.

“Obviously he skates really well, and I don’t think you see too many young guys that can shoot the puck like he can in their first year,” Crosby said. “I think he’s got a great shot. I think he’s got all the tools — really good hands, he works hard, and he’s not afraid to go into traffic areas and create chances that way. So I think he gives himself a lot of opportunities to create things.”

The Avalanche struggled during last year’s lockout-shortened season, but they have been one of the league’s surprise teams so far this year under new coach Patrick Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said he expects to see a young team with fresh legs and a lot of speed on Monday night, and MacKinnon is certainly part of that mix.

Hailing from the same hometown as one of the NHL’s best players puts a lot of pressure on a rising player. But Crosby believes guys such as MacKinnon and Seth Jones — a defenseman who was the Nashville Predators’ first-round draft pick this year — are better prepared for the NHL due to their extensive experience coming into the league.

“Both (MacKinnon) and Seth Jones were talked about for a long time,” Crosby said. “They’ve been through everything — World Cup, World Juniors, and all that stuff. So I think everything has prepared them to get to this point and, as everyone has seen pretty quickly here, it hasn’t taken them long to get used to NHL hockey. They’ve adjusted well.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck and the Colts ruined Peyton Manning’s return to Indianapolis and handed the Denver Broncos their first loss of the season.

Luck, who replaced Manning as quarterback of the Colts, threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score and didn’t even need a fourth-quarter comeback to end Denver’s 17-game regular-season streak with a 39-33 victory Sunday night.

While Luck was terrific in prime time, completing 21 of 38 passes, his predecessor was not himself. Manning finished 29 of 49 for 386 yards with three TDs, one interception and was sacked four times, leaving the Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL’s only unbeaten team.

Passes sailed high, passes fluttered and the man who usually escapes trouble with his quick thinking and quick release was sacked twice and lost a fumble near the goal line. Robert Mathis, one of the few holdovers from the Manning Era, got one of his trademark strip sacks in the second quarter — a mistake that led to nine points for Indianapolis (5-2).

“This is a game we need to learn from,” Manning said. “We, I guess, had four turnovers and still somehow had a chance to win that game. I certainly would have liked to have seen it go to a 2-point game down at the end, but we never got there. We certainly have to improve because we weren’t as sharp execution-wise as we would like to be.”

The offense that was on a record scoring pace and seemed virtually unstoppable over the first six weeks managed only two first-half touchdowns and opened the third quarter with three straight three-and-outs.

Kick returner Trindon Holliday twice fumbled the ball, with one leading to an Indianapolis touchdown, and the defense of the Broncos (6-1) that spent nearly three-fourths of the season playing with the lead came unglued in the third quarter with penalty after penalty aiding Colts drives.

It was not the evening Manning had planned after making the long journey back to Lucas Oil Stadium, the retractable-roof house he helped build by turning the Colts from an afterthought into a perennial powerhouse.

But then this was no typical game.

The weekend’s marquee matchup was the NFL’s most anticipated homecoming since Brett Favre went back to Green Bay — with the dreaded Minnesota Vikings — in 2009.

Manning, long a fan favorite in Indianapolis, had hoped to join Favre as the only quarterbacks to beat all 32 NFL teams and he received a warm welcome.

When Manning first ran onto the field, some sections in the lower bowl looked like a checkerboard of Colts blue and Broncos orange. They roared for No. 18 throughout a 90-second video tribute featuring some of his most memorable moments with the Colts including the record-breaking pass to Marvin Harrison for most TDs by a quarterback-receiver duo, the AFC championship comeback against New England and, of course, the evening when he finally hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in rainy Miami.

It was a far cry from this week’s big controversy spurred by the recent comments by Colts owner Jim Irsay saying he regretted the Colts won only one Super Bowl under Manning.

Manning responded to the standing ovation by stopping his warm-up throws, taking off his helmet, waving to the fans and mouthing the words “Thank you.”

The large video screen then cut to a fan holding a sign that that read “Thanks Peyton But Tonight I’m A Colts Fan.”

“I hope we get a chance to play these guys and maybe if there is a next time, it might be a little easier because it certainly was an emotionally draining week, there’s no doubt about that,” Manning said.

Indianapolis took advantage of Holliday’s fumbled punt return, Mathis’ sack that resulted in a safety and a 20-yard TD pass from Luck to Stanley Havili on the ensuing drive to take a 26-14 lead.

“That’s my job, that’s how I help my team,” Mathis said. “It felt good.”

Luck padded the lead with a 10-yard scramble for a score in the third quarter to make 33-14.

Then Manning tried to work his old magic in his old stomping grounds. After the teams traded field goals, he threw a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas early in the fourth to make it 36-23 and the Broncos got within 36-30 on Knowshon Moreno’s 1-yard TD run after the Colts lost a fumble.

But Manning’s lone interception with 6:59 to go set up Adam Vinatieri with the sealing field goal.

Indianapolis, which lost Monday night at San Diego, has not dropped two straight since Luck arrived.

The game could prove costly for both teams.

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey left in the second quarter with a left foot injury, the same foot that kept him out of the first five games this season.

Indy lost Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne in the fourth quarter with what team officials called a sprained right knee.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado residents affected by last month’s devastating floods have until Nov. 14 to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance.

The assistance applies to those living in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld counties, and the money can be used for rent, home repairs, property losses or other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

KUSA-TV also reports that FEMA has extended until Nov. 2 a program that helps residents displaced by the flooding pay for hotel lodging.

Under the program, which was supposed to end Sunday, qualifying households have a certain amount of their lodging expenses paid for by FEMA. The program does not include food or other incidental charges at the hotel.

FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — About 250 soldiers based at Fort Carson are set to return home after spending the last nine months serving in Kuwait.

The soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division will be honored during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Monday. They were deployed to the Middle East to help with security cooperation, joint exercises and training.

Fort Carson officials say the soldiers partnered with members of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces with the aim of strengthening ties between the United States and Kuwait and to promote security and stability in the region.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet is urging the U.S. House to take up legislation to reform the U.S. immigration system this year despite the recent paralysis in Washington.

The Democrat is one of eight U.S. senators who crafted a bill to create a lengthy path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally while strengthening security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bennet told the Inter American Press Association in Denver on Sunday that he is confident the House and Senate can reach a compromise this year on immigration reform — despite the partisan paralysis shown in the recent government shutdown.

Bennet urged the reform movement’s backers — ranging from chambers of commerce to farmers and unions to religious organizations— to keep pushing for a final package. And he insisted that immigration reform is a non-partisan issue.

“We didn’t view ourselves as working on a compromise in creating a pathway to citizenship and securing the border,” Bennet said of his and his Senate colleagues’ work. “In Washington, it is seen as a compromise, Democrats versus Republicans.”

The bipartisan “Gang of Eight” members pushed their immigration reform bill through the Senate in June. It establishes a lengthy process to securing U.S. citizenship involving background checks, fines and a requirement to learn English. It would expand the highly skilled worker program and set up new guest worker arrangements for lower-skilled workers and farm laborers.

It also allocates billions of dollars to hire thousands more border patrol agents, extend construction of a border fence, and increase aerial reconnaissance including the use of drones.

“The House of Representatives, if they can hear the voices of people who are rational on this issue, can improve this bill,” Bennet said.

“What we can’t do is not allow the House not to act. It’s just too important.”

Some Republicans view support for immigration reform as central to the party’s national viability given the growing political power of Hispanics. But many House GOP lawmakers representing conservative — and largely white — districts see little incentive to back legislation.

The Miami-based Inter American Press Association has about 1,400 member news organizations and promotes press freedoms throughout the Americas. It is holding its 69th general assembly in Denver.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A month after historic floodwaters washed over much of Boulder County, local farmers continue to assess the damage to their land and crops, make sense of their losses and determine whether their produce is safe for consumption — all during a time of year generally devoted to the fall harvest.

Individual farms in Boulder County sustained tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage — not just from the immediate impacts of the flooding, but also the decision by some to throw out entire crops that had been soaked in possibly contaminated floodwaters.

“The reality is if you don’t know where your water came from, if you don’t know it was only rainwater, you cannot risk selling food to anybody,” said Melanie Goldbort of Boulder’s Sunbeam Farm.

Goldbort and partner Dennis Kline decided the safest avenue was to dispose of all produce that came in contact with floodwaters.

“We’ve slowly been picking through what to do next,” Kline said. “It’s really up to us. There’s no one knocking on our door telling us we shouldn’t sell our food. We’re responsible for making the right choices because our choices, in the end, can really affect the livelihood of others.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines on evaluating the safety of flood-affected food crops, if an edible portion of a crop is exposed to floodwaters, it is considered adulterated and should not be consumed by humans. For crops that were possibly near floodwaters, a case-by-case evaluation is recommended, ultimately leaving the final decision up to the farmer.

Floodwaters can possibly carry sewage, various chemicals, heavy metals, pathogens and other contaminants, according to the FDA. State testing already has found high levels of E. coli in parts of the Boulder County flood zone.

Peter Volz, owner of Oxford Gardens in Niwot, watched helplessly as a surging Left Hand Creek consumed portions of his fields during the flood.

“The southern portion of our field was affected, which sits right next to Left Hand Creek,” Volz said. “Our fields essentially became a part of the creek.”

Within a 24-hour period, the 15-foot-wide creek expanded to roughly 300 feet wide, washing away topsoil and wiping out crops, taking numerous beets, leeks, scallions, onions and greens along with it.

After incurring an estimated $15,000 in damages from both the loss of half an acre of produce and interruption in business, Volz had to decide whether to keep or throw away crops that may have been touched by floodwaters.

Following advice from Adrian Card, a Colorado State University Extension agent for Boulder County, Volz opted to clean any vegetables that may have come in contact with floodwaters.

“There was a special, stringent process to follow,” Volz said. “We dumped produce in a specific Clorox solution, recommended by Adrian Card. I even contacted Clorox directly to make sure this was done properly on the potentially contaminated produce. Then we used the same process on some of the produce that wasn’t affected by the flood, just in case.”

Sunbeam Farm, which was denied assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sustained an estimated $19,000 in damages, after floodwaters destroyed 16,000 square feet of plants, and damaged the farm’s greenhouse, animal pens and equipment.

Lacking assistance from other local and government agencies, Kline set up a fundraiser through YouCaring.com, asking the community to help keep the farm afloat. Setting a goal of $9,500, or half of the estimated losses, Sunbeam Farm’s fundraiser has collected more than $6,000 so far.

Kline said that after putting everything they have, and more, into the farm, he hopes that with community support, Sunbeam Farm will be around for many more seasons.

“It’s a slow process of acceptance,” Kline said. “Our farm is our little baby. We’ve focused so much time and energy into it. Materials were lost and some things just can’t be fixed. We’re still picking through it all, since every area was affected. It’s a mess and fairly confusing, but we’re hoping with community support, we can pull through.”

Mark Guttridge, owner of Ollin Farms in Longmont, whose fields were flooded by Left Hand Creek, has focused his efforts not only on his own farm cleanup — after incurring $8,000 in infrastructure damages and another $10,000 in lost sales and damaged crops — but also on helping other farmers get access to funds for recovery, as a member of the Farm Relief Fund Advisory Group.

“In general, farmers don’t have access to funds for flood recovery, so a Front Range Farm Relief Fund has been set up and is accepting donations,” Guttridge said. “This is a great step to help farmers with immediate needs.”

Local Food Shift Group, a nonprofit organization, has joined forces with the Community Foundation of Boulder County and the Boulder County Farmers’ Market to accept tax-deductible contributions. Donations will go toward grants and low-interest loans to farms affected by the flood.

By Jim Litke, AP Sports Columnist

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau makes his first start Saturday when the Colorado Buffaloes get a break from the Pac-12 opponents that have been blowing them out.

That’s not to say Charleston Southern (7-0, 1-0 Big South) will be a pushover.

The Buccaneers are one of the better lower-tier teams in the country, and the Buffaloes (2-3, 0-3 Pac-12) are only 2-2 all-time against FCS schools, including a 38-24 win over Central Arkansas this season.

Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said the Buccaneers are better than Central Arkansas, “so, I’m pretty sure that Charleston Southern will definitely come in and feel like they can win the football game.”

This game was added after Colorado’s Sept. 14 game against Fresno State was canceled because of record rainfall and flooding.

If Colorado beats the Buccaneers, they’ll need just three more wins to become bowl eligible. The NCAA granted the Buffs a waiver allowing them to count two wins over FCS teams toward the minimum six-victory standard instead of just one.

The additional game for Charleston Southern gives the Buccaneers 13 regular-season games, the most in FCS history.

Five things to keep in mind Saturday:

1. Liufau era

MacIntyre wanted to redshirt Liufau but that changed when junior Connor Wood got off to another bad start and the Buffaloes fell behind 25-0 late in the first quarter at Arizona State last week. Liufau promptly led the Buffaloes on an 80-yard touchdown drive but committed some turnovers after that in a 54-13 loss. “Great first drive, went down and we had that touchdown, but I had too many turnovers,” Liufau said. “I don’t care if I am a freshman, coming off the bench or starting, it doesn’t matter. I can’t have those turnovers in any game, especially if we are trying to look to win some games.” Liufau said, however, that he felt as comfortable as he did in high school. “Of course the guys are faster, I am not trying to say that they are as slow as high school kids, but it just felt like playing football,” he said. “It didn’t feel like something that was way out of my league or out of control.”

2. Liufau loyalty

Liufau committed to Colorado while Jon Embree was still coach and when he was fired, several schools made a run at him, but he wouldn’t change his mind. “Thank goodness we were able to hold onto him because he had a few Pac-12 schools come after him hard,” McIntyre said. They needed haven’t bothered. Liufau, who’s from Tacoma, Wash., felt at home in Boulder and “I love the old coaching staff and once I met the new coaching staff I fell in love again.”

3. Mutual admiration

Asked what he likes about his new quarterback, MacIntyre didn’t hold back. “I think he’s very athletic. I think he’s very cerebral. I think he’s very calm,” MacIntyre said. “He’s been calm in practice and he was very calm in the game the other night. He competed but he was calm. He’s also a guy, to me, that puts others first instead of himself. I’ve noticed that so much and I think that’s part of his maturity. I think he has a good arm. I think he’s very accurate and also the thing that I noticed the other night is, I think he’s extremely tough.”

4. So, how’s Connor?

Wood has lost his grip on the starting job for the second straight season. “I think Connor has handled it well,” MacIntyre said. Liufau said Wood has been helping him. “People don’t see it often on the sidelines or in practice because no one’s there, but Connor is an amazing leader,” Liufau said. “He has the ‘C’ on his chest for a reason.”

5. Tough matchup

The Buccaneers run the option offense out of the pistol formation. “It’s a mixture of Navy and Nevada so it’s a very difficult offense,” MacIntyre said. The Buccaneers lost their starting QB, senior Malcolm Dixon, to a knee injury last month but haven’t missed a beat behind Danny Croghan.

DENVER (AP) — Installation artist Christo has said opposition to his planned “Over the River” project on the Arkansas River in Colorado is part of the art, and he welcomes debate over what is appropriate for his displays.

Christo is fighting to string about 6 miles of fabric over sections on a 42-mile stretch of the river. The team hopes to start construction next year and open the exhibit in 2015 for two weeks before dismantling it.

An opposition group, Rags Over the Arkansas River, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, saying the project will be too disruptive to wildlife, traffic, fishing and river rafting businesses.

Christo says bring it on.

“We are enjoying that. We are not masochists, but we are enjoying the communication with so many” people, the Bulgarian-born artist said.

The 78-year-old artist, who spoke with The Denver Post on Thursday, spent 26 years fighting to erect 7,503 fabric gates in New York City’s Central Park in 2005, and for 32 years before wrapping 178 trees in a Swiss park in 1998. His 1991 “The Umbrellas” project that unfurled 3,100 umbrellas in Japan and California had to wade through several state and federal lawsuits.

Christo has completed 22 of his projects, including wrapping Berlin’s Reichstag, draping Australian coastline and surrounding 11 Biscayne Bay islands in pink, shimmering fabric — all at his own cost. He has weathered 37 rejections for his projects over 50 years.

Those tribulations are as much of a reward as the flowering of his grandiose projects, he said.

“For many years, all the people are thinking how the work will be beautiful, how the work will be awful,” he said. “Basically the work is working in the mind of the people before it physically exists.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The results of an autopsy could determine whether two teenage girls are hit with serious charges after one of them was found carrying a dead fetus in a bag while shopping at a Victoria’s Secret store in Manhattan.

Police were called to the store Thursday after a security guard on the lookout for shoplifters searched the 17-year-old girls, discovered a strong odor coming from one of their bags and found the fetus.

The girls were arrested on charges of petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, police said. The teenager thought to have given birth was hospitalized, and the other was questioned by police.

One of the girls told detectives she was carrying the remains because she had delivered a day earlier and didn’t know what to do, authorities said. It wasn’t clear whether the fetus was alive or dead when delivered, or how far along the girl was in her pregnancy.

The medical examiner’s office was performing an autopsy on the remains, and more charges could follow depending on the results.

A person who answered the phone at the home of the girl believed to have given birth had no comment. No phone number was available at the address provided by police for the second teenager.