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SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- To get back in their Western Conference semifinal series, the Colorado Avalanche got back to the kind of hockey that got them there. Joe Sakic scored twice and Patrick Roy bounced back again with 19 saves as the Avalanche evened the best-of-seven series at two wins apiece with a 4-1 triumph over the San Jose Sharks. After allowing a league-low 169 goals during the season, Colorado surrendered 14 in losing two of the first three games of the series. But the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche yielded few quality scoring chances on their way to regaining home-ice advantage. "That was our plan, to cut down on the chances we were giving up and to play a stronger defensive game," Avalanche left wing Dan Hinote said. "We did that tonight, and we got some lucky bounces." "They are not the best defensive team in hockey for eight or nine months and then all of a sudden lose it," Sharks coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think we saw that in Game Two and Four. I think we have to be a little more determined in that area and we have to make sure that we are as good as they are." Colorado improved to 8-0 in games after Roy has surrendered at least five goals, outscoring opponents, 43-8. After a 6-3 loss in Game One, the Avalanche responded with an 8-2 rout. "(Roy) played great tonight. We kept the puck away from him," Sakic said. "We didn't give them a lot of open looks from the slot like Game Three. Tonight was a total team effort." Defenseman Rob Blake continued his solid series with a goal and an assist and Peter Forsberg picked up a pair of assists for the Avalanche, who host Game Five on Saturday afternoon. "I always put trust in all my players," Colorado coach Bob Hartley said. "We talk about leadership, we talk about attitude. We saw Avalanche hockey tonight, and I thought it was a great effort from Patrick Roy, making the huge save in the first period, all the way through basically everyone in the lineup." Teemu Selanne scored the lone goal for San Jose. "I think our guys are enjoying the challenge. They know who they are playing and they know how well they have to play, and they know they have to be better," Sutter said. "We have as good an opportunity now as we did when we started. When we started, both teams were dead even, and I think we're there now." Coming off consecutive two-goal games, Blake put Colorado ahead for good just 5:26 into the first period. Forsberg floated a perfect pass beyond the reach of Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan that was corraled by Blake inside the Sharks' blue line. Blake moved in alone and wristed a shot into the top right corner of the net for his fifth playoff goal -- all in this series. "He's obviously been jumping up more often," San Jose left wing Adam Graves said. "He's a great offensive talent. What we have to do is tighten up as much as possible." The turning point came with just over 11 minutes to go in the opening period. With a delayed penalty signaled on Forsberg, the puck squirted to San Jose's Patrick Marleau, who broke in alone from his own blue line and lifted a backhander past Roy. But the play had been whistled dead back in the Sharks' zone, where officials ruled that Colorado's Steven Reinprecht played the puck long enough to call the penalty. "We knew it was dead, that's why he had a breakaway," Sakic said. San Jose failed to cash in on the power play and Sakic doubled the Avalanche's lead less than two minutes later, swatting a rebound of Alex Tanguay's shot past goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. "That makes it tough on anybody," Sakic said of the 2-0 cushion. "If they have a 2-0 lead, it's tough on us. It's important. You want to try to get off to a lead. You get a little bit of a breather with a two-goal lead." Selanne got the Sharks on the board with a power-play goal 29 seconds into the second period. With Mike Keane in the penalty box, Selanne deflected Owen Nolan's shot between Roy's pads for his fourth playoff goal. Sakic restored Colorado's two-goal advantage at 2:45 of the third. He got a drop pass from Milan Hejduk above the left faceoff circle and moved in several feet before snapping a wrister under Nabokov's right pad for his sixth postseason goal. Hejduk added an empty-netter with 62 seconds to play. |
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