Don't Count the Avalanche Out Just Yet

Barclay Poole
May 25, 2001

Hold up here a moment - Back in early March, after they had just acquired all-world defenseman Rob Blake, weren't the Colorado Avalanche picked by just about everybody to walk away with the Stanley Cup? How quickly we forget...Even though they have lived up to expectations so far, the Avalanche enter the Stanley Cup Finals as anything but the favorite.

There are two main reasons why the Avalanche have slipped to become the underdog. First, there was the unfortunate and possibly season-ending injury to Peter Forsberg. Losing such a dominant force reduces the effectiveness of the Av's second line and puts even more pressure on Joe Sakic. Secondly, the Devils are playing at the top of their game. They floated through the conference finals against Pittsburgh with ease. Their depth is impressive, both offensively and defensively.

But let's not award the Stanley Cup to the Devils quite yet. Even without Peter Forsberg, the Avalanche are a deep team with several weapons. Though many are of the opinion the series will be finished quickly by New Jersey, do not be surprised if the Avalanche emerge victorious. Here's why:

The Avalanche have one of the greatest goaltenders of all time, Patrick Roy, manning their net. As we all saw against the Blues, he has the ability to carry his team almost single-handedly. Taking nothing away from Martin Brodeur, Roy can get in the minds of opposing players. He has won 3 cups and thrives on pressure situations. Against the Blues, Roy totally outplayed Roman Turek and his ability to do so against Brodeur will put the Avalanche in a favorable position. Goaltending is the most important position in playoff hockey. Roy is second to none.

Playing ahead of Roy are three all-star defenseman, Ray Bourque, Adam Foote and Rob Blake. So far in the playoffs, very few minutes have elapsed where one of them have not been on the ice. Against the Blues, they were very effective at clearing rebounds and limiting true scoring chances. Bourque and Blake have been key offensive producers, helping to ease the loss of Forsberg. Though New Jersey has some defensive studs of their own, they cannot match what Colorado's "Big Three" bring to the table.

Up front, the Devils hold an advantage. They are deeper and possess a scoring threat on each of their four lines. Guys like Bobby Holik, Randy McKay, John Madden, Turner Stevenson, etc. are all depth players that contribute clutch goals on a regular basis.

What lies in Colorado's favor is the potency of their top guns. Joe Sakic is playing unbelievable hockey. He is possibly the league's MVP and along with linemates Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay, will no doubt shoulder the scoring load for the Avalanche. You can bet that Bobby Holik will draw the defensive assignment of Sakic, along with defensemen Scott Stevens sand Brian Rafalski. Last year's MVP Chris Pronger couldn't stop him in the conference finals. We shall see what Stevens and company can do.

After Sakic's line, the Avalanche fall dramatically without Forsberg. Chris Drury will be expected to take his game to another level. Eric Messier, Shjon Podein and Stephan Yelle will need to continue their fantastic defensive play and contribute clutch goals, as they did against St. Louis.

One of the things that separates Stanley Cup winners and losers are the intangibles such as shot-blocking and back-checking. Basically, it boils down to who has the biggest heart and who wants it the most. Certainly New Jersey has proven their willingness to do what it takes to win. But the Avalanche have shown some dedication of their own. Against the Blues, the willingness of their forwards to help out defensively in their own zone was unquestioned. They also were relentless in their shot blocking efforts, often looking down the barrel of Al MacInnis' loaded gun.

In the end, Colorado will give the Devils a battle. Whether or not they win depends on how players like Chris Drury and Ville Niemenen step up to replace Peter Forsberg. But most importantly, the Avs fate will be in the hands of Sakic, Bourque, Blake and especially Patrick Roy. That's a pretty good set of hands if you ask me.

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