Avalanche likes the feel of fortune

Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 28, 2006 at midnight

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CENTENNIAL - Coach Joel Quenneville will be the first to admit the Colorado Avalanche has used a rather unconventional formula to take a 3-0 lead in its Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Dallas Stars.

"Well, it's not the recipe for success," he said Thursday after practice at the Family Sports Center.

The Avalanche scored late in the third period and early in overtime Monday in Dallas and again Wednesday at the Pepsi Center to take control of the series and is in position to clinch on home ice tonight (8, Altitude).

"The guys all year have been pretty determined and pretty competitive from start to finish and never let up in any instance, thinking in every game we have a chance," Quenneville said. "But I would say we've been very fortunate at the very least in the last two games."

The Avalanche realizes that if a bounce or two had gone the Stars' way in either of the previous two games - Jason Arnott shot a puck off a goal post in overtime Monday just before Joe Sakic scored on a tip-in - the Stars could be leading the series.

"It's unbelievable, it's crazy," Avalanche forward Jim Dowd said. "I've been around for a while, and I've seen some crazy things happen. That's why . . . it's a cliché, but it's a 60-minute game. You just have to stick with it."

Alex Tanguay said he was feeling "a little bit nervous" when Dallas went on a power play with 3 1/2 minutes to play in the third period Wednesday while leading 3-2.

The Avalanche was in the process of killing it off when Dallas' Brenden Morrow tripped Brett Clark with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play.

The Avalanche went on the power play and Tanguay fed Andrew Brunette for the tying goal with 56.4 seconds remaining.

In overtime, Tanguay's pass for Ian Laperriere bounced off Stars defenseman Willie Mitchell into the net at the 1:09 mark to give the Avalanche a 4-3 victory.

"Everybody's been very resilient," Tanguay said. "I think that's been the key to this whole team."

The Avalanche is taking a businesslike approach to tonight's game, a good idea because it has squandered chances to put away teams in previous series - against the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 quarterfinals, the Detroit Red Wings in the 2002 conference finals and, yes, the Stars in the 1999 conference finals.

If the Avalanche had held serve in those series, there probably would be more than two Stanley Cup banners hanging inside the Pepsi Center.

"This team in the past hasn't taken advantage of some of the leads we've had in a series," defenseman Rob Blake said. "So we have to force the issue, not sit and wait and see what's going to happen. (The Stars) are a veteran team with guys who have won Cups and their best game is going to be (tonight)."

Certainly the Avalanche can't expect a repeat of the dramatics that took place in the past two games, and no one cares to hear that only two NHL teams - the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders - have won a series after losing the first three games.

The Avalanche has been there. Colorado was in a 3-0 hole against San Jose in the 2004 conference semifinals and pulled to 3-2 with consecutive overtime victories but dropped a 3-1 decision in Game 6 at home to end the season.

"We know from experience what it's like being on the other side from two years ago," Sakic said. "They're not going to quit. You don't win 53 games during the year by laying down. So it's up to us to try and put it away.

"If they get a win and get on a roll . . . momentum's a big thing in the playoffs in our sport and you have to do whatever you can to not have the other team get it."

Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore can relate. He recalled what it was like while playing for Montreal in 2004 when the Canadiens lost three of the first four games against the Boston Bruins in the first round.

"The key is you don't want to see it as a big mountain," he said. "You don't look ahead, you just say, 'Win the next game.' If you look at the big picture, it's kind of a long ways."

The Canadiens rallied to win the series, with Theodore tossing a 2-0 shutout in Game 7.

"Just looking at Dallas, they're confident and they're going to come out strong," he said. "It's up to us to play our game."

And turn this opponent into fallen Stars.

Game 4

Stars at Avalanche (Colorado leads series 3-0)

• When: 8 tonight

• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950)

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2587

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