Avalanche Playoff Report: First two games follow script

By Mike Cook, Special to the Rocky

Published April 11, 2008 at 7 p.m.

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Photo by Paul Battaglia / Associated Press

Minnesota Wild defensemen Brent Burns, left, and Kim Johnsson and Wild center Mikko Koivu surround Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk in the first period of Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

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Before this playoff series between Colorado and Minnesota, the consensus from both locker rooms was that neither team was going to make quick work of the other.

The Wild made sure that holds true by evening the best-of-seven series 1-1 on Friday. Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

"After a win like that you always feel good," defenseman Martin Skoula said. "We know we had to have the urgency to go back there 1-1. We couldn't afford to have a two-game deficit."

The first two games are what Wild center Eric Belanger expected.

"This is only two games, and it's probably the most exciting series that you're going to see. You can't go too high or too low in the playoffs. This is a game we needed to win, and now we regroup and get some rest these next two days and go there with the same emotions and same intentions."

Minnesota won three of the four games in Denver, including Game 7, when the teams met in the 2003 postseason.

Another injury scare

Minnesota lost right wing Branko Radivojevic early in the first period when he landed awkwardly on his leg and back after being checked by Paul Stastny. Radivojevic returned to play four shifts in the second and 10 in the third before limping off the ice favoring his right leg late in regulation after slamming into the end boards.

"He's got a lot of will and he wanted to finish the game. I don't know how he's going to be (today)," said coach Jacques Lemaire, who was absent from the team's morning skate because of an illness. "It's great to have guys that really want to play and show their teammates."

Minnesota already is missing right wing Mark Parrish, who suffered a head injury in the game Wednesday. He remains day to day.

The Wild defense remains short-handed, with Nick Schultz (emergency appendectomy) and Kurtis Foster (broken left femur) out.

Brent Burns, Kim Johnsson and Skoula, who injured his leg in the Game 1 loss Wednesday, each logged more than 26 minutes.

Keith Carney, the 38-year-old veteran who scored the game-winner, played more than 15 minutes.

"He played as good as he's played all year," Lemaire said. "He's a player you can rely on. He's not really fast, but his experience puts him at the right spot. It gets harder to play against him because he's smart and understands the game."

Haynes recovering

Altitude broadcaster Mike Haynes is recovering after undergoing successful surgery Thursday for a basilar artery aneurysm.

Peter McNab, Haynes' partner on Avalanche telecasts, said he received the news during a conversation with Haynes' wife, Victoria.

"And he's already complaining about something," McNab said, laughing, adding this was a good sign.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Breeze, the vice chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado Hospital. The recovery period is expected to be four to six months.

John Kelly, the play-by-play voice of the Avalanche for the team's first nine seasons in Colorado, has returned for the duration of the playoffs. Kelly left three years ago to announce games for the St. Louis Blues.

Avalanche party

Fans can attend an Avalanche playoff party from 12:30-2:30 p.m. today at the Plaza at Belmar in Lakewood at Alameda and Wadsworth streets. There will be food, games and prizes, including playoff tickets and autographed Avalanche merchandise.

Leipold takes the reins

Former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold officially has assumed control of the Wild. Leipold, 55, owns 51 percent of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, the team's parent company.

Leipold lives in Racine, Wis., and will serve as the Wild's governor. Phil Falcone, a Minnesota native, is Leipold's general partner. Falcone, who played hockey at Harvard, is the senior managing director of the Harbinger Capital Partners investment team in New York.

An announcement that Leipold's group was purchasing the team from Bob Naegele for about $260 million was made in January, but the sale had to be approved by the NHL Board of Governors. Naegele, the Wild's original owner, is staying on as a minority partner.

Leipold said he would be a "hands-off"owner, but added: "I would have 23 Wayne Gretzkys out there if I could."

Voros in place of Parrish

Aaron Voros replaced Parrish in the Minnesota lineup.

In his first NHL season, Voros had seven goals in 55 regular season games. He got the nod over Chris Simon, who has appeared in 73 career playoff games.

Voros had one hit in 11 regulation shifts.

"We talked a lot before we used Voros," Lemaire said. "We felt that maybe around the net he would bring a little more. We needed a guy on the power play to stand in front. We felt maybe he's a touch better defensively. Simon's gonna play next game."

Clang, clang, clang

A backhand by Mikko Koivu went through traffic and off the left post early in the second period. About 15 seconds later, a backhand by Marian Gaborik went off the right post. A rebound by Petteri Nummelin hit the right post in the waning seconds of the middle period.

He said it

"We're excited about the playoffs and we just have to rally around that void."

Carney, Wild defenseman, on Minnesota missing defensemen Schultz and Foster.

He said it II

"You've got 100 pounds on me. Why would I fight you?"

Derek Boogaard, Minnesota's 6-foot-7, 260-pound forward, on Ian Laperriere's response when asked to mix it up.

Staff writer Rick Sadowski contributed to this report.

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