Stastny soaks in playoff buzz

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 11, 2008 at 9:50 a.m.
Updated April 11, 2008 at 9:50 a.m.

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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- When Paul Stastny skated onto the ice at the Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday to make his Stanley Cup playoff debut, the Avalanche center had an inkling of what to expect from postseason play.

Stastny experienced the sensation in the same building as a University of Denver freshman during the 2005 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five tournament, which the Pioneers won before going on to capture a national championship.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh Thursday, "but it was a little different this time. The building is really loud and it was a lot more physical and emotional than in the NCAAs. This is exciting, kind of a new adventure."

Stastny was one of five Avalanche players to take part in a Stanley Cup playoff game for the first time when the team faced off against the Minnesota Wild, perhaps a bit surprising for a team loaded with postseason veterans such as Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Ryan Smyth.

Jeff Finger, Ben Guite and rookies David Jones and Cody McLeod were the others, and all made a good accounting of themselves in the Avalanche's 3-2 overtime win.

"But now we have to forget about what happened in the first game and look forward to the next one," Stastny said, referring to tonight's match (7 MDT, Altitude).

Having gotten that first taste of playoff hockey - NHL style - should help the newcomers be a little calmer for Game 2 than they were at the start of Wednesday's game.

"There were a few jitters," Stastny said. "We didn't make (the playoffs) last year, so I've been waiting two years for this and now it's finally come."

Jones, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound right wing, was just completing his junior season at Dartmouth at this time a year ago. He felt some butterflies, too, but said he gets nervous even before regular-season games.

"But it was so exciting going out there for the drop of the puck," he said. "The fans are just incredible, real loud. Once I got out there, I felt great and just fed off the fans' energy. It was a lot of fun."

Jones played on an effective line with Smyth and Tyler Arnason, took two shots on goal and managed to knock a puck behind Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom late in the third period of a 2-2 tie.

But referee Don Van Massenhoven immediately waved off the goal, ruling Jones kicked the puck into the net, a call that was confirmed by video replay - and by Jones on Thursday.

"Not necessarily on purpose, but I did," he said. "I got hit from behind into the net and when I went to stand up, I felt the puck under my leg. As I stood up, I had already kicked it in. I tried to get my stick on it so I could maybe tip it in, but I was too close to the net. I didn't think I'd get the call, but you never know."

Jones was the victim of a pretty blatant cross-check into the crease on the play, but he said: "It's not the worst thing if the refs let some stuff go. It's the fun part of playoff hockey - no harm, no foul."

Finger logged 24:34 in ice time and picked up an assist on Smyth's power- play goal in the second period, while Guite had three hits and helped kill off four of five Wild power plays, as did McLeod.

"It was awesome," Finger said. "I was a little jittery there at first. But after the first period, it went a lot better. I think the next one will go a little bit smoother. All the hype . . . growing up, my whole life I was watching and just looking to be in this position. It was definitely nerve- wracking at first, but we really calmed down and I think we did all right.

"We have a lot of younger guys with not that much NHL experience, but there's also a lot of guys with a lot of experience, so it kind of evens out. I spoke with 'Footie' (Adam Foote) a bit and he said it's still just hockey, still the same game. It's definitely easier said than done, but after the first period, it was just another game for me with a little more intensity."

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