Dallas – Fifteen minutes and two seconds had elapsed in the first period, the Dallas Stars already had a two-goal lead and cynics were cracking “Jose and the Pussycats” jokes about Avs goalie Jose Theodore and the Avalanche on Saturday afternoon.
When the final horn sounded at the American Airlines Center, boos rained down from the few remaining Stars fans. Theodore was accepting congratulations from his teammates, and the Avs had a 5-2 victory and a 1-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.
And it all seemed so easy, as if the Avs were the Western Conference’s second seed and the Stars were the seventh-place longshots – not the vice-versa reality.
The final score wasn’t the only stunner. Colorado had outshot Dallas 27-9 with about eight minutes to go. The Avs held Dallas to one shot on Theodore in the first 10 minutes of the first period and two shots within the first 10 minutes of the third period.
If Colorado looked like a new team Saturday, perhaps it is. It got a win from a goalie (Theodore) and five points on the score- sheet from two players (Wojtek Wolski and Jim Dowd) who weren’t on the roster 45 days ago.
“How many shots did (the Stars) have?” Avs right wing Milan Hejduk asked. When Hejduk scanned the stats sheet and saw 18, his eyes got wide. “It was just a real good team effort after we got down 2-0,” he said. “We played almost perfect.”
After spotting the Pacific Division- winning Stars a 2-0 lead on goals by Brenden Morrow and Bill Guerin, the Avs got the last five of the game from Hejduk, Wolski, Rob Blake, John-Michael Liles and Brett Clark. If not for a few great saves by Stars goalie Marty Turco, the final score would have been more lopsided.
Avs coach Joel Quenneville couldn’t find much to complain about after his first playoff victory with Colorado.
“Our preparation and the way we competed was exactly what we were hoping for,” Quenneville said. “We got down early but kept chipping away and got back in the game. We were able to hang on to the puck a lot, particularly down low.”
Things started turning around for the Avs when Hejduk tapped in a shot past Turco at 16:42 of the first, after a nice setup pass from linemate Andrew Brunette. Down 2-1 entering the second, the Avs were about as dominant as a team could be in the next 20 minutes. They outshot Dallas 13-4 and tied it when rookie Wolski backhanded one past a scrambling Turco.
After finishing off the setup pass from Dowd, Wolski punctuated the goal with a leap into the air. It was his first career playoff game after nearly seven months away from the NHL while playing junior hockey. He finished with a goal and two assists.
“He’s got a lot of talent,” Avs captain Joe Sakic said. “After the year he had in junior, you know he was coming in here with a lot of confidence, and it just carried over. We’re all very excited for him.”
For most of the game, Wolski centered a second line with Alex Tanguay and Dowd, and it gave the Avs a much more potent look and feel. Wolski made a great play on the winning goal, scored by Blake on the power play at 9:08 of the second. Wol- ski was preparing to shoot on Turco but held back with a fake, then flipped a saucer pass to the stick of a charging Blake for a one-timer into the net.
“Great pass there,” Blake said. “I think he froze their ‘D’ and Turco a little bit there with the fake.”
Liles and Clark added goals, giving Theodore an easy time the rest of the way.
“It’s only one game, though,” said Sakic, who had two assists. “That’s a great hockey team over there and we know they’ll be a lot better in Game 2.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
Avs win Game 1
KEY MOMENT: Power surge
Wojtek Wolski scored off the backhand to tie the game 2-2 in the second period, then leaped into the air. The moment seemed to symbolize the energy he and the Avalanche had the rest of the way – and seemed to deflate the Stars.
KEY STAT: Put it on net
Avalanche 31 shots on goal, Dallas 18. The Avs’ shots tied their season best, accomplished twice previously – once against Dallas on Oct. 8. The Stars didn’t get their first shot until 9:47, and had only nine through the first 50 minutes.
MOST SURPRISING STAT: Wasted chances
Both teams failed to score on 5-on-3 advantages. The Avs had that edge for 1:42 in the third period and didn’t get a puck past Marty Turco. Andrew Brunette missed a tap-in chance with a wide-open net. Dallas failed to convert on a two-man advantage for 54 seconds late in the game.
BEST: Setting up Blake
* Wojtek Wolski’s setup pass to Rob Blake on the winning goal.
* Ian Laperriere’s rocking of Philippe Boucher in the second period. The two are best friends off the ice.
* Losing goalie Marty Turco’s stick save on Joe Sakic’s one-timer late in the second period that kept it a 4-2 game.
WORST: Guerin: lazy “D”
* The band playing during intermissions, offering a mixture of old-school rock (Def Leppard covers) and new-age salsa.
* Bill Guerin’s lazy back-checking on Brett Clark’s goal that made it 5-2.
* Niklas Hagman’s third-period hit from behind on Joe Sakic, which was potentially dangerous.
Avs-Stars series
Game 1: Colorado 5, Dallas 2 (Colorado leads series 1-0)
Game 2: at Dallas, Monday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: at Colorado, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: at Colorado, Friday, 8 p.m.
Game 5*: at Dallas, April 30, noon
Game 6*: at Colorado, May 2, TBD
Game 7*: at Dallas, May 4, TBD
(*if necessary)
