Avalanche Advance

After facing a 3-2 series deficit to the San Jose Sharks, the Colorado Avalanche won the final two games of the series to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Colorado’s Peter Forsberg was the hero of both games, scoring the overtime game-winner in the earthquake-marred Game Six and also tallying the lone goal of Game Seven.

Avalanche netminder Patrick Roy completed his twenty-second career playoff shutout, stopping all twenty-seven of San Jose’s shots in Game Seven after allowing only one goal on twenty-two shots in Game Six.

Colorado advances to play the well-rested Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. Detroit finished off their second round opponent, the St. Louis Blues, in five games and haven’t played since last Saturday.

This will be the fifth time that the two teams have met in the post season since the Avalanche moved from Quebec in 1995. In 1996 Colorado took a six-game victory en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. In 1997 the Red Wings ousted the defending champs in six games before claiming their first Cup in forty-two years. The Avalanche downed Detroit in six games in 1999 and only took five games in 2000.

Game One between the Avs and Wings will be Saturday at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.

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Detroit’s playoff record against Colorado is their third worst playoff record against individual teams. The Red Wings have fared worse only against the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins.