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Devils due Look for New Jersey to wrap up the series Thursday
Updated: Thursday June 07, 2001 10:56 PM
From Avs fan: Mike, what the heck is going on with the Forsberg will-he-play-won't-he-play rumors. He's been skating, and it'll be four weeks since his spleen was removed, but does he really think he's near? Does Colorado? Farber: Forsberg will not play, unless the flight from Denver to Newark was going through Lourdes. And unless Bob Hartley and Peter's father, Kent, are totally dissembling, there is no way that Peter Forsberg can play. Someone skating and someone being ready for the intensity of Stanley Cup play are two different things. Colorado shouldn't be looking for miracles at this point. They should be looking for a way to get through the Devils' defense. From Johan, Stockholm, Sweden: What is your opinion on the Forsberg trade rumors? I honestly can’t see the Avalanche keeping both Joe Sakic and Forsberg, and they can get something by dealing Forsberg. It kind of makes sense if you think about it. Farber: I haven’t heard any rumors. There was a Globe and Mail analysis that suggested trading Forsberg as a way to go, but I have heard no rumors. Clearly, financial decision have to be made in Colorado, and a lot hinges on Ray Bourque's possible retirement, Rob Blake's ultimate destination and whether Sakic wants to uproot his family and strike out as a free agent. I imagine they can keep Patrick Roy and at least one of the two other players, depending on the way Bourque goes. Trading Forsberg would free up money to sign three or maybe four of the others, which is why it was speculated on in print. From Jon, Bergen County: I was wondering if you think, as I do, that the Devils have to play less above their heads to run away from Colorado. It seems like the Avalanche has to do so much more just to play even. Farber: The only time I have seen the Devils get beat in the playoffs was in Game 1 vs. Colorado. All the other times they've managed to beat themselves. The difference is that they tend to beat themselves with undisciplined penalties, but with each team playing its best game, New Jersey looks to be the stronger club. From Allison: Do you think that if the Devils win Game 6 at home and skate the Cup around Continental Airlines Arena, that getting into the building finally will be a tougher task during the 2001-02 regular season? Farber: I would hope so. The Devils, by winning their third Cup in seven years, put themselves one rung below the Oilers and Islanders of the 1980s and the Canadiens of the late 1970s. But the Devils should meet prospective fans at least halfway. Their marketing is haphazard at best and they have done little to win the hearts and minds of the metropolitan area, other than winning. In this day and age, there has to be some sizzle with some steak, even if general manager Lou Lamoriello is the ultimate meat and potatoes guy. From Timothy: Where the heck has Rob Blake been? He was an animal early in the series and scored a nice goal in Game 4, but where is he now? Can he really be expected to take over a game offensively? Farber: Blake can certainly do that with his shot from the right point. Like some other defensemen in Game 5 for Colorado, he made some questionable decisions. But his offensive instincts, usually good, always make him a threat. Colorado probably overreacted to the 12 total shots in Game 4 by pushing up defensemen and pinching helter-skelter in Game 5. I expect them to play a slightly more cautious Game 6, capitalizing on power play chances and Roy's goaltending. From Guest: Do you think the Devils might suffer a lull knowing they can afford to lose a game? Farber: Absolutely not. The Devils are almost as exhausted as Colorado at this point and the thought of flying back across country to play a winner-take-all at the Pepsi Center would frighten them out of any theoretically complacency. From et1: Everybody talks as if this is all over. What is the Avs' level of confidence at this moment? Farber: Colorado has some fabulous players, a proven goalie -- despite his Game 4 mistake -- and the ability to beat anybody. They are not in the most comfortable position in the world but it is a team with players like Sakic, Roy and Chris Drury, who usually manage to find a way to win. They can't hate their position, even though it is precarious. From PelusoFan: Are the losses of team leaders like Randy McKay and Jason Arnott equal to the loss of Peter Forsberg? Farber: Tough to come up with a mathematical formula. You have to look at the players who replaced them. Turner Stevenson scored the big backhander in Game 2, after Bob Corkum, who took McKay's spot, scored the first goal. Without Arnott for, essentially, all of Games 4 and 5, Bobby Holik and Sergei Nemchinov filled in admirably at center, but unique chemistry between Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora was even more pronounced. In Colorado's case, Dan Hinote has given Colorado some energy and enthusiasm when he moved from the fourth to the second line, but his effectiveness has diminished as the series has gone deeper. From PelusoFan: Do you get disgusted, like I do, when you read or hear that "Ray Bourque DESERVES a Cup"? The only way someone deserves a Cup is by earning it with their team. Ray has had 22 years to win a Cup. Isn't winning a Cup just as important to the likes of Bob Corkum, John Vanbiesbrouck or even Rob Blake? Farber: Because Bourque has been one of the great three-zone defensemen in history, there has been a great deal of sentiment that hopes he wins, but I have not heard many say that he DESERVES the Cup. Like everyone else, Bourque has to go out and help win it. No one is more mindful of that fact than No. 77. From Albert: A few years ago, Ken Hitchcock talked about the death of the trap being around the corner. Is New Jersey's success another reminder that it's going nowhere soon? Farber: The trap will always be with us because it is an effective forechecking system, especially for smart teams holding a lead. But the Devils don't trap nearly as much as they did even in 1995. From Marty1: What impact did Patrick Roy's mishandling of the puck behind the net in Game 4 mean for the rest of the series? Farber: Roy's mistake falls under the category of "for want of a nail, a kingdom was lost." For fans it will be looked upon as Bill Buckner's five-hole in '86 and Marty McSorley's illegal stick in '93. Roy's mistake could have turned the series around, in effect, costing the Avalanche the victory (in the game and perhaps series), costing Roy a Conn Smythe Trophy and, ultimately, Roy of his place in history. With a fourth Cup and a third Conn Smythe to go with his career records, Roy could have made a case, albeit incomplete, that he is the best ever. From William: A Boston Globe article stated Tuesday that there aren't any solid Conn Smythe candidates. Who would be your choice? Farber: If New Jersey wins in Game 6, I would look at the two a-line wingers; either Elias or Sykora. Also, Holik is a possibility. But there has not been a stand-alone star, at least for New Jersey. If you go round by round you look at Scott Stevens against Carolina, Alexander Mogilny and Scott Gomez against Toronto, Holik and Brian Rafalski against Pittsburgh and Sykora and Elias against Colorado. If Colorado comes back to win, look for Roy or Sakic to win the trophy, depending on their impacts in Games 6 and 7. From stran: Now that the Devils' No. 1 line seems to be back in the groove, what defensive pairing would you put on it to slow it down? Farber: I would continue to use Adam Foote and Bourque. Foote because of his physical nature and Bourque because he moves the puck so well. Colorado is not particularly fast at the back end, but I would still go with my best pairing, unless Hartley wants to switch Blake with Bourque as he did against St. Louis. From stran: What do the Avs have to do to stop the Devils from getting an early lead and sitting on it? Farber: Colorado has to capitalize on one or two first-period power plays. Referees always call more penalties in the first period when they’re setting the tone. Although scoring first hasn't helped teams in four of the first five games. From JRM, New York City: What are the chances that the Devils will re-sign Mogilny this summer? He has said on a number of occasions that he would take less money to stay in New Jersey, but I feel he still might be looking for more than Lou Lamoriello is willing to pay. Farber: The Devils win with a midrange budget and Mogilny will not be a $5 million player in New Jersey next year. Possibly, after a 43-goal season, there will be another team willing to pay that kind of money and Mogilny might be attracted. From Guest: Bottom line: Does the series end Thursday night, or will everyone hop on a plane for Game 7 in Denver? Farber: The series will likely end on Thursday night. Through four games this was a series filled with random hockey. Well, a pattern finally emerged in Game 5 when you look at it through the prism of Game 4. The Devils seem a little fresher and a little deeper. I look for the Devils to win a one-goal game, perhaps in overtime.
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