So hier der Bericht vom Haie-Schlachtfest
von nhl.com
DENVER (Ticker) -- Patrick Roy usually bounces back from a bad performance. This time, he had a lot of help.
Rob Blake scored twice in his return to the lineup and fellow defenseman Greg de Vries was one of three teammates with a goal and an assist as the Avalanche evened their Western Conference semifinal series at a win apiece with an 8-2 rout of the San Jose Sharks.
Blake missed a 6-3 loss in Wednesday's opener due to a leg injury but made an instant impact in this one, personally giving Colorado a 2-0 lead before the second period was two minutes old. He sat out the third for what team officials called "precautionary reasons."
By then, the defending Stanley Cup champions were firmly in control. They improved to 7-0 in games after Roy has surrendered at least five goals, outscoring opponents, 39-7.
"We had to have this one," Avalanche captain Joe Sakic said. "In the first period, Patty made a couple of big saves for us.
Blake got a couple of big goals to get us going. It was just a huge win for us today. We didn't want to go down 0-2."
"I think the two days off, to me, were the biggest things," Roy added. "Nobody was happy about the last game."
Sakic and Peter Forsberg also had a goal and an assist apiece for Colorado, which tied a team record for goals in a playoff game and recorded its most lopsided postseason victory since a 7-0 blanking of Chicago in Game 5 of the 1997 conference quarterfinals.
"The series is tied, 1-1, and we can't get too much credit for this," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley cautioned. "A win is a win in the playoffs and those guys will turn the page and be ready for Game Three, just like us."
San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov had given up just 10 goals in his first six playoff games this season but was pulled in the third after surrendering eight on only 28 shots.
"There were a lot of goals, some pretty good goals, but it wasn't his fault," Sharks center Mike Ricci said. "He's unflappable, and I can say that with the utmost honesty. I can't wait to see how he plays the next game."
The loss was one goal from the worst in Sharks' playoff history, a 9-2 blowout to Calgary in Game Three of the 1995 conference quarterfinals.
"This is the playoffs, it only counts as one game," Ricci said.
"Stats don't mean anything. They kicked our (butt) and they won the game. They deserved to win tonight and they did. It's only one game."
The Avalanche had not scored in the first period of their last five games, but Blake got things started at 8:54 with his first playoff goal. Teammate Stephane Yelle had the puck behind the net, but it was swept off his stick and into the low slot by San Jose's Teemu Selanne. After moving in from the blue line, Blake flicked a shot past Nabokov's glove and inside the right goalpost.
Blake scored again just 98 seconds into the second period, finishing a give-and-go with Alex Tanguay off a 3-on-1.
"Obviously, a great lift," Sakic said of Blake's return. "Two big goals, the first two goals for us."
Forsberg and Sakic scored 1:43 apart to open some breathing room. Forsberg made it 3-0 at 8:36, banking the puck off the back of the net before curling a backhander around the left post for his third playoff goal.
Sakic's fourth of the postseason was a controversial one.
Replays showed his wrist shot from the top of the slot hit the camera inside the net, but play continued before video officials had a chance to review it.
De Vries swooped down the left side less than four minutes later and snapped a wrister into the top right corner of the net for his third playoff goal.
"We always want to jump in," de Vries said. "I think all year long we have jumped in and made plays, and we have been playing good defensively. And it just so happens that if they find us, we have been putting it into the net."
A goal by red-hot Patrick Marleau brought the Sharks to life and they climbed within 5-2 at 3:30 of the third period when Stephane Matteau put in a rebound of Vincent Damphousse's shot.
But any momentum quickly disappeared as the Avalanche exploded for three goals in a 1:50 span. Milan Hejduk, Eric Messier and Dan Hinote each got his first of the playoffs, chasing Nabokov, who marched directly to the Sharks' locker room.
"You can't be happy with an 8-2 loss, but you lose 3-2 or you lose 8-2, it's the same result -- you lose the game," Damphousse said. "That's the way we've got to look at it, just move on."
"It was a great game for the guys," Roy said. "Everybody was sharp, everybody played with a lot of urgency today. We all understood the importance of coming back with a strong game. I think the two days off were very, very good for our team. Eight
MISSION 120 - STILL 12,2 to go
Verleiher des Hardcore-User Siegels
Avalanche-Fan from the very beginning 
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, das war außerdem erst Game 3, die Serie wird mindestens über 6 Games gehen 
