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Cage match Belfour-Roy duel one highlight in West
Posted: Saturday May 13, 2000 01:12 AM
DALLAS (AP) -- If you were playing a computer hockey game that generated players according to their statistics over the last 15 years, Colorado's Patrick Roy would be a great choice as your goalie. But if your software only had stats from the last three years, Dallas' Ed Belfour would be a better choice. The real Belfour and Roy will soon go head-to-head in the Western Conference finals for the second straight season. The best-of-seven series begins with games at Dallas on Saturday and Monday. Since joining Dallas in 1997-98, Belfour has led the Stars to the conference finals each season. His 34 playoff wins and seven shutouts are the most in that span. Roy has 22 wins and two shutouts in the last three postseasons. However, his 118 career playoff victories are the most by a goalie in NHL history. His name appears on the Stanley Cup in three places, two more than Belfour. Belfour and Roy are both 8-2 this postseason. Although Belfour has three shutouts to Roy's one, the Colorado goalie has a slight edge in goals-against average (1.67 to 1.80) and save percentage (.935 to .927). "Eddie's been phenomenal," teammate Scott Thornton said. "Every game, he's been there for us. But Patrick is no slouch. He's a warrior, especially in the playoffs." Earlier this season, Belfour said he was as good as Roy if not better. The Avalanche are 2-0-1 against the Stars since then with Roy allowing just four goals in those three games. "The pressure is on him, not me," Roy said. "I'm not the one who made the comment. He thinks he's better than me? That's fine with me. I don't feel I need to compare myself to anybody. I know where I stand." Belfour is taking a more humble approach to the duel. "I always like the challenge of playing against Patrick," he said. "The games are always competitive. I don't expect anything different." Belfour is having his best season yet in Dallas. He was the one who kept the Stars winning through a rash of injuries and other lineup problems. He finished with the NHL's highest save percentage and was third in goals-against average. About the only thing he's had trouble snagging is respect. Belfour's reputation for having a flaky personality was thought to have been shattered by his poise in leading Dallas to the Cup last season. Not being invited to the All-Star game was an indication what others thought of him. A March arrest for violent behavior at a posh Dallas hotel didn't help his case, and was probably a big reason why he wasn't among the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie. Yet if Belfour continues stopping pucks the way he's been doing lately, he'd be among the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. "Eddie knows what's up in the next series," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He's going to have to be a big, big player for us to win."
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