The Avalanche refused to bite yesterday.
They wouldn’t talk about how a win tonight over the Devils in Game 4 would give them a stranglehold on the Stanley Cup. They wouldn’t boast about how they have dominated the Devils through three games.
Listening to the Avalanche the morning after they won Game 3, 3-1, was about as riveting as listening to a bunch of accountants discuss new tax codes. Don’t be fooled, the Avalanche know they’re on a roll and poised to blow away the Devils.
Their confidence, of course, starts with goalie Patrick Roy, the winningest goalie in Stanley Cup history. He has allowed the Devils a grand total of three goals in three games. It’s amazing Colorado is up 2-1 and not poised to sweep the series.
“Since the L.A. series, his eyes have been spitting fire,” said Colorado coach Bob Hartley. “He’s on a mission. He is confident. He is cocky.”
He has every reason to feel that way. The Avalanche, despite having lost one of the best players in the world, Peter Forsberg, who underwent surgery to remove his spleen before the start of the series, have been more aggressive, quicker to the puck, and stronger going to the net.
They were the best team in the regular season and they are proving to be the best team in the postseason. There is no need for the Avalanche to do or say anything that might rile the Devils.
Whether they’ll say it or not, the Avalanche are in control of this series. A win tonight and they can return home and dethrone the Devils Monday night in the Pepsi Center.
“I love the approach that my players are showing,” Hartley said after Thursday night’s win. “Once again we were facing adversity. Our leadership, our tenacity, our skills, our experience were certainly major factors and everyone showed up to work.
“Like I said, throughout the year, our guys respond very well to adversity.”
The Devils will be the team facing adversity tonight. After opening Game 3 with a flourish and scoring their first power-play goal of the series, the Devils faded midway through the first period.
Colorado held the Devils to a mere three shots in the second period. After Jason Arnott’s goal at 3:16, the Devils were shut out, shut down, and the Avalanche are starting to get a sense that they are doing to New Jersey what New Jersey did to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals.
“I don’t know if you could tell just yet [if we’re frustrating them], three games into the series,” said defenseman Rob Blake. “I mean we’ve got to limit their space and their time with the puck as much as possible. If that ends up frustrating them, all the better for us.”
