Different missions

Avs aiming to stay at the top, while Sharks want to get there

This series is a true test for both teams for different reasons.

The Sharks have been inching toward elite status for several seasons and now have the chance at certification with a triumph over the defending Stanley Cup champions. Can they make that difficult next step in their progression?

For their part, the Avs have to contend with the physical challenges that go along with surviving a seven-game series in the first round. Compounding their ability to recover is the fact that their second-round opponent is the most tireless, unrelenting group left in the draw.

Of course, it helps to have Patrick Roy as your goaltender. Roy is the best ever at buying his team enough time to find a way to win. Anybody remember 10 overtime victories on the way to the Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens? A decade later, Roy still has that quality. His counterpart is sophomore Evgeni Nabokov, the most technically sound goaltender of European training ever to play in the NHL. He is a terrific talent who presents a completely different visual than did Colorado's first foe, Felix Potvin. Potvin plays down and deep in his crease, Nabokov is upright and forthright. The Avalanche attack has been spotty all season, but Nabokov gets to see them at their healthiest. His on-ice challenge is eerily similar to that of Brent Johnson in St. Louis -- stare down a legend at the other end of the rink, while at the same time contending with some of the game's best offensive players.

Outside the crease, these teams matchup in interesting fashion from the standpoint that the Avs' defense is veteran-laden, as is the collection of forwards for the Sharks. Conversely, the Sharks' backline features three young defensemen -- just like Colorado's line combinations. How well will second-year rearguards Brad Stuart and Scott Hannan fare in their role, or rookie Jeff Jillson if called upon? What will Colorado's inexperienced fourth liners Riku Hahl and Brad Larsen do with their minutes, or Radim Vrbata if summoned?

If, however, the input of the youngest players on both sides is a wash, this series will come down to the balanced, seasoned Sharks attack against the balanced, seasoned blueline corps of the Avalanche. The Sharks were the only NHL team with at least six 20-goal scorers. With the dogged Mike Ricci notching 19 goals and workmanlike warrior Adam Graves contributing 17, it is apparent that the Sharks go three lines deep in scoring and scraping. If any team is deep enough to take on the Sharks' frontline rotation, though, it is the Avalanche. Led by Rob Blake and Adam Foote, Colorado has three dependable pairings and is able to play all six defensemen in a variety of situations, thus distributing the minutes more equitably than any other team.

Ultimately, this series won't be lost -- one side or the other will win it, as it should be. This is strength versus strength deciding the outcome of what promises to be a hotly contested matchup.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason for CNNSI.com.

 

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