'The best hockey I've seen'

Avs, Wings impressing themselves with level of play

Avs goalie Patrick Roy is screened by teammate Chris Drury during practice Sunday. AP

DETROIT (AP) -- With more than a dozen future Hall of Famers playing for the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings, the Western Conference finals is living up to the hype.

"It's simply unbelievable the amount of skills and the quality of the leadership on both teams," Colorado coach Bob Hartley said Sunday after both teams practiced. "And that's why this round is even at 2-2, and that's why there is so many Hall of Famers on both sides."

Even the players are impressed.

"It's the best hockey I've seen," Detroit's Sergei Fedorov said.

The winner of Monday night's Game 5 in the Western Conference finals Monday night at Joe Louis Arena will take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"Everybody knows it's big," Fedorov said.

Seeing red Click the image to launch the clip The Red Wings believe they're ready to break out of a recent offensive slump. Start Video Plus Visit Video Plus for all the latest video and audio.

Everybody also knows that there's enough talent -- and grit -- on these two teams to put hockey's best product on display.

"Both teams are so gifted offensively and so strong defensively, and with the goaltenders on both teams there really are no chinks in either team's armor," Detroit's Brendan Shanahan said. "Every game has been so close. We like the way we're playing, and we still feel very confident.

"It's 2-2 now and it's almost like a new series."

Joe Sakic said the Avalanche were thankful to split the last two games because Detroit outplayed them -- and outshot them 75-43 -- in Denver.

"We know if we play the same way we did the last two games, chances are we're not going to come out of this," said Sakic, who said this series is one of the best he's played in. "We know the pressure of this game. We've been here before, but that isn't saying much because you still have to play hard and play well."

The Avalanche believe the only reason the series is tied is because of Patrick Roy.

The NHL's winningest goalie made 31 saves in his record-setting 237th career playoff game Saturday, one game after stopping 40 shots in an overtime loss.

Roy was the first Colorado player to walk off the team bus and into Joe Louis Arena for practice Sunday, and was one of the last players to leave the ice.

He was not in the mood to talk about the series or the goalie matchup, but Dominik Hasek was.

"I'm facing one of the best goalies in the history of playoffs," Hasek said. "It's great. I enjoy it.

"I don't want to make it just about two of us. It's a team sport. But in the next two or three games, the goalie's play will be very, very important."

Detroit knows it has to be more effective on the power play to beat Roy and the Avalanche.

The Red Wings, 0-for-5 with an extra man Saturday, have failed to score on their last eight power plays and are 2-for-15 with an extra attacker in the series.

"When you don't score on the power play, the worst thing you can do is get too technical," Shanahan said. "You just go back to the basics and shoot more and get more traffic. We're looking for plays to set guys up, but so far all on the power play goals we've scored in the series haven't been pretty ones. They've just been throwing the puck at the net and having traffic there."

The Red Wings would like to score first for the first time in the series. While they have struggled to score first, Colorado has had a hard time earning a comfortable cushion.

The Avalanche have blown one-goal leads seven times. The eighth time they led by one, Chris Drury added a goal at 16:43 of the third period in Game 4 to put them ahead 3-1 for the series' first two-goal margin. That only lasted a few minutes because Brett Hull scored in the final seconds.

"We can't say we've played poorly in the first period, but somehow they find a way to score the first goal," Hasek said. "Of course, I'd rather play with the lead. However, twice in the series, we found a way to come back and beat them after they scored first."

Hartley said it will be a game-time decision whether forward Mike Keane will play in Game 5. Keane missed Game 4 with a rib injury.

 

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