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'Lucky' Avs take 2-0 series lead

Blues goalie Turek slights 3 Colorado goals, but they were good enough for a 4-2 win.

©Associated Press

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2001

DENVER -- On one end of the ice, Patrick Roy is making critical saves. On the other end, Roman Turek is becoming a critic.

Roy stopped 28 shots and the Avalanche got three goals from unlikely sources as it took control of the Western Conference final with a 4-2 victory over the Blues on Monday night.

"They scored three goals, but they were pretty lucky goals," said Turek, who faced 15 shots. "We had two nice goals. But they scored three lucky goals, and they won."

Turek, steady in the first two rounds, vented his frustration after defensemen Ray Bourque and Adam Foote scored on long slap shots and Shjon Podein burned him with a nice move to complete a three-on-two in the third period.

Podein's goal with 6:39 remaining proved to be the winner as the Avalanche took a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 in St. Louis on Wednesday night.

"Being up by two games really puts the pressure on the Blues right now," Colorado captain Joe Sakic said. "We all know what happened the last two years in Dallas, so we don't really have to talk too much about it. We knew how important this game was."

The Avalanche won Game 1 of the conference final each of the past two years but lost Game 2, and ultimately the series, to the Stars.

Since moving from Quebec to Colorado in 1995, the Avalanche has won all eight series after taking a 2-0 lead.

"I know that being down 2-0 is a tough hole," St. Louis coach Joel Quenneville said. "But we go home and get some momentum back."

Roy has prevented the Blues from getting momentum. He has allowed six goals in the past six games, making the most difficult saves look easy.

"I'm very impressed," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley said. "It seems that he's playing with a tracking device out there."

After Podein's goal gave Colorado a 3-1 lead, St. Louis took advantage of a power play when Al MacInnis blasted a long slap shot just inside the left post 2:31 later.

The Blues maintained the pressure but saw their chances diminish when Pierre Turgeon took a slashing penalty with 1:38 to play. Foote elbowed Turgeon seconds earlier.

"I tried to hold back," Turgeon said. "I turned around, and he hit me cold. They called it the other way."

St. Louis made one final rush after pulling Turek in the final minute, but Chris Drury iced the victory when he scored into an empty net with 7.3 seconds remaining.

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