Never say never

Avs' resiliency makes it hard to count them out in any series

There is a fine line between panic and desperation and Colorado knows the distinction. Down does not mean out for the Avalanche when they need a win in a series. On Saturday, Colorado needed a win.

Despite an early break -- a broken play and a broken stick conspired to give the Avs the lead in the first -- Colorado hardly dominated. In fact, for the second straight game it was Detroit carrying the play. The Wings were quicker moving down the ice to get into defensive position than the Avs were in initiating on the attack. For long stretches, Detroit owned the offensive zone with exceptional puck control.

That is where Colorado’s composure came in. Although outplayed by Detroit through much of the first 40 minutes, it refused to give in. Patrick Roy was impeccable in goal, making sure his team didn’t fall out of touch with the desired outcome. But Roy did that in Game 3 as well and the Avs still lost. Roy needed his teammates to generate some offense to make his effort have full value. Ah, the plight of a goaltender -- you can keep your team in it single-handedly, but you can’t win it by yourself.

Enter Joe Sakic. Finding a rare seam through the neutral zone, Sakic received a deft flip pass from Greg de Vries and cashed in one of his patented wicked wristers. The goal was enormous, but they way it happened was telltale. It was an explosive, uptempo counterattack, a strength of the Avs that had been absent thus far. The style of the goal seemed to energize Colorado, as it skated with authority throughout the third period -- perhaps the Avs' best skating period of the series. Detroit pressed for the equalizer, taking more chances between the blue lines and Colorado capitalized. The Avs were in their element -- skating freely, looking to strike quickly -- establishing a two-goal lead for the first time in the series when Chris Drury chipped a beautiful pass from Peter Forsberg over the left shoulder of Dominik Hasek.

Colorado was passion personified in the third. Desperate -- knowing they needed to prevail -- and confident because they had done so many times before in the same situation. The Avs' success is no surprise -- look at the names mentioned -- with Roy, Sakic, Forsberg and Drury coming through. With guys like that to rally around, no wonder panic isn’t part of the equation.

Three Stars

The Avs' Big Three collectively met the challenge once again.

1. Roy: It doesn’t get much better than his performance Saturday with his team needing to win.

2. Sakic: Timing. Not a factor for five periods on home ice, he made the defining play at the outset of the third in a manner that set the tone for the balance of the contest.

3. Forsberg: He was all around the action -- offensively making plays and irritating the Red Wings to distraction.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason for CNNSI.com.

 

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