DENVER – Frustration is beginning to overtake the Avalanche every bit as much as the Stars have now overtaken them in the Western Finals.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated,” Joe Sakic, who has scored one goal in his last 10 games, said after Dallas’ smothering 3-0 victory in Game 3 here last night. “Dallas can be a frustrating team to play against, there’s no doubt about that, but we can frustrate ourselves sometimes, too.”
Colorado, which has been outscored 7-2 in losing two straight following its Game 1 victory in Dallas, has been shut out for the 85:01 by Ed Belfour, who was sharp when tested early in both the first and third periods, but otherwise enjoyed a relatively quiet night.
Since the opening minutes of Game 2, Avalanche chances have been few and far between, what with the Stars alternately employing a hard forecheck and trap, denying Colorado the odd-man rushes off which the talented team thrives.
“Our focus has to continue to force them to play in their own end,” said Joe Nieuwendyk, whose score off defenseman Aaron Miller’s skate at 2:22 of the second gave Dallas a 1-0 lead it studiously protected.
“It’s our job now to come into Game 4 [tomorrow night] with that same attitude, and be relentless in making them play down low in their own zone.”
The Avalanche thrived off the rush and counterattack in burying the Red Wings. It’s a talented, speed-oriented team that wants to push the puck and use its creativity. But against a team so committed to and so proficient in team defense as the two-time regular-season champion Stars, the Avalanche are going to have to abandon their preferred style and strap on hard hats.
The Avalanche are going to have to become a grinding, down-low hockey club against an opponent that’s just daring them to try it.
“I thought we worked hard, but we weren’t always very smart,” said Sakic, who, along with linemate Theo Fleury, appeared to be pressing as the game wound down. “As soon as we got behind, we were trying to make plays at the blue line instead of getting the puck in deep.
“We’re giving up too many two-on-ones. We’re not desperate enough.”
Having lost four of their previous six home tournament matches, having been limited to one shot in the final 25:05 of the Game 2 defeat in Dallas, the Avalanche opened with a flurry against Belfour. The goaltender was equal to the task. So was his team, allowing him to see initial shots, then denying rebounds by protecting the crease and clearing the puck.
“Team defense is what our game is all about,” said Belfour, whose shutout was the sixth of his playoff career. “It has been all year.”
The Stars are deep, both up front and on defense, where last night they brought old pal Shawn Chambers back from the injured list to skate with Craig Ludwig on what is clearly the best third pair in hockey. The first pair of Derian Hatcher and Richard Matvichuk, matched throughout against the Peter Forsberg-Claude Lemeiux-Valeri Kamensky unit, was outstanding.
“Defense isn’t a two-man job. It’s a five-man job and they’re all committed to it,” said Miller. “We’re going to have to get the puck in deep and outwork them.”
At 1-0, the Stars were so stifling the score may as well have been 5-0, though Belfour did have to make a succession of early third-period saves, including a pair on Fleury and then a couple on Forsberg a little later on while Colorado was shorthanded. Once he did, Colorado bent to frustration, diving all over the ice, making bad changes, taking poor penalties, committing ghastly turnovers, getting caught out of position.
Still 1-0 just past the midway mark of the third, Fleury, now scoreless in his last six games, gave up the puck in the neutral zone. Adam Foote, a target all night, then got caught out of position while making a huge neutral-zone hit on Dave Reid. The Dallas winger took the hit to move the puck to Nieuwendyk, who then fed Jamie Langenbrunner for the clincher on a two-on-one at 10:44. Reid’s score at 16:05 was superfluous.
“We need to crash the net a lot harder. We need to play better,” said Forsberg. “I think they are outsmarting us.”
He was asked how.
“They are getting the goals,” he said.