Red Wings come home flying low
Associated Press
DETROIT -- Nobody thought Detroit would have an easy time
with the dreaded Colorado Avalanche. Still, the Red Wings weren't
expected to dig themselves this kind of hole.
The Red Wings, who were riding high after sweeping the Los
Angeles Kings in the first round, have suddenly lost their scoring
punch. They are trailing 0-2 as they get ready to continue the
best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series Monday night at
Joe Louis Arena.
|
CONSECUTIVE GAME-WINNING GOALS
|
|
Name
|
Team
|
Games
|
Year
|
|
Clark Gillies
|
Isles
|
4
|
1977
|
|
Peter Forsberg
|
Avs
|
3
|
Current
|
|
Jaromir Jagr
|
Pens
|
3
|
Current
|
|
Mario Lemieux
|
Pens
|
3
|
1992
|
|
Jaromir Jagr
|
Pens
|
3
|
1992
|
|
Kevin Stevens
|
Pens
|
3
|
1991
|
|
Craig Laughlin
|
Caps
|
3
|
1984
|
|
Roy Conacher
|
Bruins
|
3
|
1939
|
"We are ready to pay the price," Avs coach Bob Hartley said.
"You just have to look at the faces of our players. After two
games, there are lots of bumps and bruises. That's playoff hockey,
and we have to keep doing the same things."
This is not the way the Red Wings figured things would go.
After winning successive Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and
1998, the Red Wings were spent. When they reported to camp in the
autumn of 1998, they felt like the season -- which went well into
June -- had just ended.
When the playoffs began in 1999, Detroit ran off six straight
wins, including two in Denver. But the Red Wings ran out of gas and
the Avs won the next four games, eliminating Detroit in the second
round.
Steve Yzerman, the Detroit captain, felt that might have been a
blessing in disguise. The Red Wings reported to camp last fall
rested and full of energy, determined to win back the Cup.
But Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy shut the Red Wings out 2-0
in the first game, then came back for a 3-1 win in a chippy second
game that saw Detroit do something its opponents frequently do _
take bad penalties. Colorado's first two goals came on power plays;
the third was an empty-netter.
|  | | Avs goalie Patrick Roy actually enjoys playing in Detroit. |
"I don't know how to explain it," Detroit center Igor Larionov
said. "It's the playoffs, and it's a huge game. Of course you have
to control your emotions. But we're taking those penalties and they
score a couple of power play goals and from there, they play
defensive, disciplined hockey."
Meanwhile, the Red Wings' high-powered offense has disappeared.
"We have a lot of guys that are overdue," said Detroit coach
Scotty Bowman, seeking his ninth Cup title. "It's early in the
series, and you have to go game by game."
Under Bowman, the Red Wings have won 15 of 18 playoff series
since being bumped in the first round by the San Jose Sharks in
1993. Detroit is the only team to advance beyond the first round of
the playoffs each of the past five seasons.
None of that is going to help them now, however. Colorado is
14-1 in its last 15 games, including the final eight games of the
regular season.
"We know how quickly a series can turn," Roy said. "But now
the pressure is on them. They are in their building."
Roy also conceded that he likes playing in Detroit.
"Yes, I do, but don't tell anybody," he said.
Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, who was injured when the Avs began
their four-game run against the Red Wings last season, has played
reasonably well in this series.
"Last year was last year," Osgood said. "Look what happened
after the second game. We have to get to the net and find a way to
score goals."
Osgood now has a 35-19 overall record in the playoffs, but he is
2-8 against the Avs. Bowman, however, said Osgood can't be blamed
for the fix the Red Wings find themselves in.
"We gave up four goals in two games," Bowman said. "You can't
put it on the goalie for that. He's not the reason we are not
scoring."
Well, what is the reason?
"There were a lot of one-on-one battles all over the ice,"
Colorado defenseman Ray Bourque said. "You have to win them and
can't get beat. We won many of those battles."
The Avs are 18-3-1 since acquiring Bourque and Dave Andreychuk
from Boston on March 6. |
