Monday, May 14 8:00pm ET
Avs' Bourque, Foote provide offensive spark
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) – On one end of the ice, Patrick Roy continues to
make critical saves. On the other end, Roman Turek is simply
becoming a critic.
|  | | Avs goalie Patrick Roy blocks a shot while Milan Hejduk, center, provides interference. |
Roy stopped 28 shots and the Colorado Avalanche got three goals
from unlikely offensive sources as they took control of the Western
Conference finals with a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on
Monday night.
"They scored three goals but they were pretty lucky goals,"
said Turek, who faced only 15 shots. "We had two nice goals, but
they scored three lucky goals and they won."
Turek, who had been steady in the first two playoff rounds,
vented his frustration after defensemen Ray Bourque and Adam Foote
scored on long slap shots and Shjon Podein burned him with a nice
move to complete a 3-on-2 in the third period.
Podein's goal with 6:39 remaining proved to be the game-winner
as the Avalanche took a 2-0 series heading into Game 3 in St. Louis
on Wednesday night.
"Being up by two games really puts the pressure on the Blues
right now," Colorado captain Joe Sakic said. "We all know what
happened the last two years in Dallas, so we don't really have to
talk too much about it. We knew how important this game was."
The Avalanche won Game 1 of the conference finals each of the
past two years only to lose Game 2, and ultimately the series, to
the Dallas Stars.
Since moving from Quebec to Colorado in 1995, the Avs have won
all eight series after taking a 2-0 lead.
"I know that being down 2-0 is a tough hole," St. Louis coach
Joel Quenneville said. "But we go home and get some momentum back.
We need to get a win under our belt."
Roy has prevented the Blues from getting any momentum. He has
allowed just six goals in the last six games, making the most
difficult saves look easy.
"I'm impressed, very impressed," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley
said. "It seems that he's playing with a tracking device out
there."
After Podein's goal gave Colorado a 3-1 lead, St. Louis took
advantage of a power play when Al MacInnis blasted a long slap shot
just inside the left post 2:31 later.
The Blues maintained the pressure but saw their chances diminish
when Pierre Turgeon took a slashing penalty with 1:38 to play.
Foote elbowed Turgeon seconds earlier.
"I tried to hold back," Turgeon said. "I turned around and he
hit me cold. They called it the other way."
St. Louis made one final rush after pulling Turek in the final
minute, but Chris Drury iced the victory when he scored into an
empty net with 7.3 seconds remaining.
Drury also had an assist, and Bourque finished with a goal and
an assist. Bourque, six victories away from his first Stanley Cup
in a 22-season career, had not scored a goal in the first 12 games.
Foote and Podein scored for just the second time in the playoffs.
"I finally got one through and scored," said Bourque, who
scored four seconds into a power play in the first period. "It's
been a while."
Content to let the Blues play catch-up for the second straight
game, Colorado went 8:22 without a shot in the third period but got
a big goal when Podein converted on a 3-on-2 rush with Drury for
his second goal of the playoffs.
The Blues, who have not led in the series, had several good
chances to tie it earlier, but Roy either made the save or got a
fortuitous bounce. Pavol Demitra hit the left post midway through
the period.
"We spot them a goal every game, and it is tough getting back
because you are skating uphill all the time," St. Louis defenseman
Chris Pronger said. "When you give a team like that the lead, it
is tough playing against them because they just sit back."
Despite being outshot 10-5 in the final 20 minutes and 30-20 for
the game, Colorado continued to score in bunches. The Avalanche
have 13 goals in three games since being shut out for nearly 183
minutes in the conference semifinals by Los Angeles.
St. Louis fell behind for the second straight game, but tied it
1-1 when Scott Mellanby scored on a power play 8:27 into the
second. Roy had no chance on the play as Mellanby camped in front
of the goal and redirected a shot from MacInnis.
The Avalanche regained the lead with 1:56 left in the period
when Foote beat Turek from the left point. The low-flying shot hit
St. Louis defenseman Bryce Salvador in the leg, changing direction
just enough to fool Turek.
Roy preserved the lead in the final seconds when Mellanby made
another nice deflection on a pass from Pronger. Because Roy is
playing so well, the Blues made an effort to get traffic in front
of him whenever possible.
Game notes
Colorado C Peter Forsberg was released from the hospital
Monday, four days after emergency surgery to remove his spleen. ...
Bourque recorded his 175th point in the playoffs, moving into a tie
with Denis Savard for ninth on the career list. He also tied Paul
Coffey with 137 assists, third on the NHL list. ... St. Louis is
3-10-2 in Colorado since the Avalanche moved from Quebec in 1995.
... Colorado is 7-0 when scoring first and when leading after two
periods. ... St. Louis does not have an even-strength goal. The
Blues scored short-handed in Game 1. ... Avalanche F Milan Hejduk
had two assists and leads all playoff scorers with six goals and 12
assists. ... Colorado F Stephane Yelle did not play in the third
period because of a bruised shoulder. He will be evaluated Tuesday.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
Avs center Forsberg released from hospital
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Ray Bourque takes the puck from Rob Blake and fires it past Roman Turek for the Colorado goal.
avi: 1135 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Adam Foote bounces the puck off a Blues defenseman and past Roman Turek for a goal.
avi: 1061 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Scott Mellanby deflects the Al MacInnis shot past Patrick Roy for a score.
avi: 1377 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Shjon Podein sneaks the puck past Roman Turek for an Avalanche goal.
avi: 923 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Rob Blake says the Avalanche are getting better throughout the playoffs.
wav: 113 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Brian Engblom catches up with Ray Bourque after the Avalanche take Game 2 from the Blues.
wav: 694 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Shjon Podein says everyone contributed in Colorado's Game 2 win over the Blues.
wav: 148 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
