Only one of the Western Conference playoff teams failed to defeat the Avalanche in regulation this season: the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
On Thursday, about 12 hours after learning the Ducks will be Colorado’s second-round playoff opponent, several Avs said the club’s 3-0-1 regulation record against Anaheim does not accurately represent how the four games, each decided by one goal, unfolded.
“I honestly didn’t even think we were 3-0-1 against them. That’s how tight those games were,” Avs defenseman John- Michael Liles said. “We definitely have our work cut out for us.”
Colorado beat Anaheim 4-3 and 3-2 early in the season before the Ducks won 5-4 in overtime March 22 in Southern California. A week later, the Avs captured the series finale by a 4-3 score.
Avs coach Joel Quenneville said the way the Ducks played in their overtime victory against his club is what he’s expecting throughout the series.
“The level of that game, and the pace of that game, was high end, and that’s basically how they played going right into the playoffs,” Quenneville said.
Liles added: “From the Olympic break on, there wasn’t a hotter team.”
For the record
Anaheim had just a 12-8-4 record in regulation since the Olympic break, but won three of four overtime contests. The Ducks then eliminated No. 3-seeded Calgary in seven games to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
“They’re solid all the way through,” said Avs defenseman Kurt Sauer, who played with the Ducks for two seasons, including their 2003 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. “They only have like five or six of the same guys since I was there, and a new coach and new GM, so it’s like a brand new team. But I know they come out hard, play for 60 minutes and they usually get good goaltending.”
Young Russian
Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who shut out Calgary 3-0 in Wednesday’s Game 7, appears to have beaten out Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the No. 1 job. Bryzgalov leads all NHL playoff goalies with a 0.80 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage in 255 minutes.
Bryzgalov, 25, is appearing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time.
“People talk so much about playoff experience, but you got to get it sometime, and thus far he’s been extremely good in the playoffs,” Liles said of the Russian goalie. “And I’ve played against him in the Olympics and World Cup, and he’s been really good. So I don’t think anybody is paying too much attention to his lack of playoff experience.”
Rejuvenated Selanne
Teemu Selanne is not the same player who participated in 78 games with a bum knee for Colorado two seasons ago.
He’s much better now.
Selanne, 35, paced the Ducks with 40 goals and 90 points in the regular season and leads the team with three goals and six points in the playoffs.
“Most people here don’t understand that he was playing on one leg,” Avs forward Dan Hinote said of Selanne’s time in Colorado. “He was battling a knee injury all year long, but he battled through it. He was a warrior, and he shut up and played, but he took a lot of gripe because he wasn’t putting up the numbers. Now, he’s back to his old self.”
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
