Home ice won't change Avs' strategy

Colorado keys on Gaborik, Demitra

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 14, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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While delighted to be back home, where the Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild three times during the regular season, this is playoff time and the Pepsi Center might not be that much of an advantage.

"In our sport, you feel comfortable wherever you play," Avalanche captain Joe Sakic said Sunday. "We went to Minnesota and didn't have a problem with the crowd noise, and we know they're not going to care about the crowd noise here.

"When the puck drops, you play, and you play to win."

After splitting two overtime contests in Minnesota, the Avalanche and Wild will play Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series tonight and Tuesday at the Pepsi Center because the Nuggets are home Wednesday.

It remains to be seen if playing on consecutive nights turns into a disadvantage for the Avalanche, since Peter Forsberg, who didn't practice Sunday, hasn't played back-to-back games since joining the team.

Regardless, the nature of the series isn't expected to change simply because of the change in venues.

"We're excited about being back here, but the pace of the game and the series has been tremendous, and we expect it to continue along those lines," coach Joel Quenneville said.

A major part of the Avalanche game plan has been to play Wild forwards Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra as tight as possible.

Gaborik has managed three shots on goal and no points so far, Demitra three shots and the tying goal in Game 2, on a third-period power play.

Defensemen Adam Foote and Kurt Sauer have been charged with the difficult task of controlling Gaborik and Demitra, who combined for three goals and eight assists against the Avalanche in seasonal play despite missing time because of injuries.

"But they've got a lot of talent on that team, more depth than people give them credit for," Foote said.

Asked specifically about Ga- borik and Demitra, Foote and Sauer emphasized the importance of keeping the forwards away from the slot area and preventing them from creating open space.

"They have quick forwards, and Gaborik and Demitra are some of the quickest," Sauer said. "When you're up in the rush, if you have a bad gap or if you can't get back, they're going to make an odd-man break the other way. Guys with that much speed, if you don't have a good gap and you're standing still, they're going to blow by you. They almost do it anyway; they're pretty tough."

The Wild has been pretty tough against the Avalanche's top forwards, of whom only Sakic, Forsberg and Wojtek Wolski have as many as two points. Top regular- season scorer Paul Stastny has two shots and has yet to crack the score sheet.

"You have to get pucks on net and crash (the net)," Sakic said. "The plays in the slot aren't really open against them. Point shots are critical, but really, plays behind the net are where we're going to be most successful.

"It's playoffs, so you need a lot of garbage goals. You don't see too many pretty goals."

Two of the Wild's five goals were scored when shots ricocheted off the skates of Avalanche defensemen and past goalie Jose Theodore, and two of the Avalanche's five goals were scored on deflections or tips.

"Our mind-set's got to be how we play without the puck, which creates offense for us," Quenneville said. "They're looking for us to try to create a lot, and that complements their type of team game, where it's turnovers, quick transitions. Off the rush, they're dangerous.

"We're respectful of their offense, but our approach is, the better we check, the better our offense is going to be."

One area of concern for the Avalanche has been its inability to protect a third-period lead, squandering a 2-0 lead in Game 1 and a 1-0 lead in Game 2.

The Wild has outscored the Avalanche 4-1 in the third period, with Colorado's lone goal coming on a six-on-four power play in the final minute of regulation Friday.

"Both games they got a big goal on the power play to tie it up," Quenneville said. "The games are on the line and everybody's pressing when you're behind. Whether you're getting more chances in the first or third period, I don't think we've given up more in the third than we did in the first part of the game.

"Whether they're big goals or not, scoring's not going to be easy to come by for either team at any part of the game."

Wild at Avalanche

* When: 8 tonight.

* Where: Pepsi Center.

* What: Game 3, best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals.

* Series: Tied 1-1.

* TV/radio: Altitude, Versus; KKFN-FM (104.3).

* Leading scorers

Minnesota (1-1) G A P

C Mikko Koivu 2 1 3

D Keith Carney 1 0 1

RW Pavol Demitra 1 0 1

LW Todd Fedoruk 1 0 1

Coach:

Jacques Lemaire

Colorado (1-1) G A P

D Jeff Finger 1 1 2

LW Peter Forsberg 1 1 2

C Joe Sakic 1 1 2

LW Wojtek Wolski 0 2 2

Coach:

Joel Quenneville * Injuries: Minnesota - D Kurtis Foster (leg), RW Mark Parrish (concussion) and D Nick Schultz (appendectomy) are out; RW Branko Radivojevic (leg) is day to day. Colorado - D Brett Clark (shoulder), RW Scott Parker (ankle) and RW Marek Svatos (knee) are out.

* Sidelight: The Avalanche lost its final three home playoff games in 2006, Games 3 and 4 to Anaheim in the 2006 conference semifinals and Game 4 to Dallas in the first round.

* Notes: After leading the Avalanche in scoring in the regular season, center Paul Stastny has two shots on goal and no points in the series. . . . The Wild has outshot the Avalanche 61-48. . . . Asked about the difference between Jose Theodore and Hall of Famer Patrick Roy in goal, Sakic said, "Theo's a lot more laid back than Patrick." . . . Wild defensemen Kim Johnsson, Brent Burns and Martin Skoula, left, are averaging 26 to 30 minutes of ice time per game. . . . Wild coach Jacques Lemaire on Game 3: "The first five minutes will be really important. . . . They'll be all primed up to start on the right foot and maybe get a goal at the start. We talked about the start, and I think our guys will be ready."

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