|
|
Avalanche cling to life with OT
win
Series returns to SJ 3-1
4/28/04 - by Mike Lee
The Colorado Avalanche will
live another day. Joe Sakic saw to that on Wednesday night, by converting on a
Mike Rathje turnover in overtime to avoid the series sweep with a 1-0 win at
the Pepsi Center in Denver. Sakic ended the goaltending clinic by snapping a
shot past Evgeni Nabokov just 5:15 into overtime. Nabokov and his counterpart,
Avalanche goaltender David Aebischer, combined to make 62 saves, but it only
took one shot to decide the contest. Pushed to the brink, Colorado withstood a
furious 1st period charge by the Sharks and held on to extend the series to a
fifth game, which will be played in San Jose on Saturday.
 |
| What did
you think of this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| COL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Overtime - COL, J.
SAKIC (5) (R. BOUGHNER), 05:15 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 1st period - S.J,
A. KOROLYUK, 13:31 - Interference COL, J. SAKIC, 14:58 - Tripping S.J, S.
HANNAN, 18:05 - Holding |
|
|
| 2nd period - COL,
K. SKRASTINS, 06:28 - Tripping S.J, V. DAMPHOUSSE, 09:44 - Cross check COL, C.
GRATTON, 09:44 - Roughing S.J, J. CHEECHOO, 11:38 - Interference - Goaltender
|
|
|
| 3rd period - S.J,
J. MARSHALL, 03:55 - Tripping S.J, A. KOROLYUK, 18:46 - Hi stick S.J, A.
KOROLYUK, 18:46 - Hi stick |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Shots |
Saves |
| SJ - Nabokov |
36 |
35 |
| COL - Aebischer |
27 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| SJ |
13 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
27 |
| COL |
10 |
9 |
11 |
6 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Sharks have yet to lose on home ice in the post
season this year, but they have to be kicking themselves for not taking care of
business on Wednesday. The Sharks were intent on matching the intensity that
Colorado head coach Tony Granato had guaranteed before Wednesday's game.
Both teams opened up the offense in the 1st period, resulting in a
number of wild exchanges. Avalanche forward Dan Hinote and Sharks winger
Alexander Korolyuk both had breakaways in the opening period, but both were
rejected by the opposing goaltender.
San Jose out shot the Avalanche
13-10 in that opening period, but neither team could convert when they had the
opportunity.
Colorado narrowly missed on another prime scoring chance
in the 2nd period, when Mathew Barnaby rang a shot off the post, then had a
rebound attempt stopped by Nabokov.
Both teams also played
exceptionally well on the penalty kill. San Jose continued to shut down
Colorado's potent power play unit, by killing off six Avalanche power plays.
None was bigger than the gift they received toward the end of regulation.
Korolyuk gift wrapped a four minute double minor, when he
inadvertently caught Teemu Selanne in the chops with his stick. The Avalanche
looked well positioned to end the game right then and there, but they failed to
generate any good scoring chances on the ensuing power play. Since the penalty
came at the end of the period, they only had 1:14 to try an convert before the
end of the period.
When the two teams returned to the ice to start the
overtime period, Colorado continued to sputter on the man-advantage.
They finally caught a break when Rathed tried to clear the puck out of his own
zone by flipping it down the center of the rink, but he lost the handle on it
and allowed it to flutter to Sakic in the slot.
The Avalanche captain
wasted no time in converting the mistake into the game winning goal with a shot
from 15 feet out.
Quotables
"We didn't stop believing. It's
a great confidence boost and shows how easy the series can turn around when you
use the momentum. It's a new ballgame." - Teemu Selanne
"We're in a
do-or-die situation. We had to get the first win and haven't had momentum on
our side of the court yet, so we'll see what happens." - Adam Foote
"We
still are in control of the series. We'll go home and hope to keep the same
mind-set." - Wayne Primeau
"The game could have gone either way. The
goalies played exceptionally well. I thought we had as many chances as they
did. They got the bounce at the end. That's the way overtime goes." - Todd
Harvey
|
| What did you think of
this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
| |
|
