Thursday, May 31 Updated: June 3, 3:07 AM ET Letters don't make Avalanche leaders By Brian A. Shactman ESPN.com EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In his 22nd season in the NHL, Ray Bourque is two wins from his first Stanley Cup. So is Rob Blake, although he's played nine fewer seasons and 1,071 fewer games than Bourque. Along their varied paths, Bourque and Blake sacrificed a great deal, despite being well compensated – physical pain, time away from family, thousands of miles of travel. The biggest on-ice sacrifice both defensemen made was the captaincy each relinquished from their former teams, Boston and Los Angeles, respectively, after being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. But their leadership contributions and styles haven't changed one iota, which has a lot to do with the Avs skating on the edge of a title. "You don't need a letter to be a leader on the team," said teammate Dave Reid, who played with Bourque for 10 seasons in two stints with the Bruins. "Just his experience and leadership in the room. When he speaks, he gets so much respect. "He acts the same way here as he did in Boston." Before the Stanley Cup finals began, Bourque and Blake – along with Adam Foote – were compared to the blueliners on the Cup-winning Canadiens teams of the late 1970s. Regardless of public opinion comparing Bourque, Blake and Foote to Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe, it's obvious all three Avalanche defensemen could captain just about any NHL team. Except the Avalanche. Bourque and Blake wore the "C" for their former teams, and Foote wears the "A" for Colorado, only because Joe Sakic has been with the organization three more years than the 6-foot-2 blue-line stalwart has. If Sakic were not on the team, Foote would be captain. In fact, throw Peter Forsberg into the mix, and the Avalanche have five players with legitimate captain-like qualities - all respected to the point of reverence, all committed to winning and all extremely gifted hockey players. Somehow, the overload still works for Colorado, which enters Game 4 on Saturday (ABC, 8 p.m. ET) just two wins from capturing the Stanley Cup. "The more the merrier," said Blake, the unquestionable leader in the Kings dressing room for several seasons before being traded to Colorado this spring. "That's the thing I had to learn, and it took a few weeks after I got here. I learned that you don't want to change. I was here for the same reason I was in L.A. It's just that you have more guys here. But I've never been a big talker anyway." Blake, who is usually amiable with the media, seems like he might speak up in the locker room. But Avs center Steve Reinprecht – also Blake's teammate in L.A. – corroborates Blake's self-evaluation. "He's always been a leader on the ice," Reinprecht said. "He might not be the biggest talker in the dressing room, but he shows up every night and that's what you need a captain to do." Bourque is the complete opposite. His public persona is one of reserve and almost painful shyness for the 40-year-old Hall of Fame shoe-in. But in the private confines of the Avalanche locker room, Bourque always speaks his mind. "He's always been vocal," Reid said. "Anyone who knows Ray knows he's not one to sit on his hands and keep quiet. He's a pretty emotional guy and a pretty vocal guy. "He keeps it in check a lot of times, but in the locker room, he's into every game." Ask Bourque about his vocal presence with team, and predictably, he replies: "When needed." Interestingly, part of the reason Blake and Bourque remain so comfortable with themselves despite the lack of a "C" on their jersey is because the Avs are so talented. Since his arrival, Blake has thrived, especially in the postseason. In 19 playoff games, Blake has 13 assists and 18 points, the third most on the team. In the Cup finals, Blake has a goal and three assists – second best behind Sakic. His play has been noticed by an old teammate on the opposing Devils. "This is the most talented team he's ever been on," said Devils defenseman Sean O'Donnell, a teammate of Blake's for six seasons in Los Angeles. "He needs good players to excel because he's able to jump into holes and do things and maybe those teams in L.A. couldn't really respond. When he's surrounded by those kind of players in Colorado, you see the kind of numbers he puts up and the kind of two-way hockey he can play." Bourque hasn't produced offensively (4-5=9 in the playoffs) as much as Blake, but his game-winning goal in Game 3 demonstrates Bourque is far from a spare part. "I feel real good and lead in the same ways," Bourque said. "For me, I try and go out and enjoy the game and have a good attitude and work hard at it. Bring that attitude to the rink and try to do my job." If he and Blake keep doing their jobs, they might hoist the Cup for the first time. Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com and can be reached at brian.shactman@espn.com. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories