2005/2006 NHL PLAYOFFS | STANLEY CUP FINALS
COLORADO AVALANCHE Vs. OTTAWA SENATORS
INSIDER:
The Colorado Avalanche return to the Stanley Cup Finals to defend last years Championship run again the Ottawa Senators.
The Avalanche breezed past their first two opponents and met with the Detroit Red Wings in the Conference Finals for the second straight season. It went all seven games this time around, even with the Avalanche looking to be eliminated. They managed to win back to back games to advance this far.
The Ottawa Senators on the other hand breezed past season goal leader; Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. Made easy work of Mark Parrish and the New York Islanders and swept the last seasons favorites; the New Jersey Devils to make it this far.
Despite Ottawa making easy work of their side, they'll be facing the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The series is expected to slightly be in Ottawa's favor, as the series is expected to go at least five games.
INJURY LIST
OTT: None
COL: RW, Alex Tanguay | 1-2 Months
PLAYERS TO WATCH
OTT: Martin Havlat, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden
COL: Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk, John-Michael Liles, Teemu Selanne, Theo Fleury, Peter Budaj
GOALIES ON DECK
OTT: Dominik Hasek
Brian Elliott
COL: Peter Budaj
Scott Clemmensen
GAME ONE:
Ottawa wasted no time getting on the board. At 1:22 of the first, Daniel Alfredsson scored the opening goal from a nice dish from Jason Spezza to make it 1-0.
The lone goal would only hold up for 5mins, as Milan Hejduk would tie the game up from a nice pass by Teemu Selanne. Ottawa would strike back at 9:08, as Wyatt Smith would score on the power play to get the lead back to 2-1. 51 seconds after the PP goal, Peter Schaefer scores to give the Senators a two goal lead heading into the second period. 3-1.
The second period seen more from the Senators as Antoine Vermette (@4:18) and Jason Spezza (@5:25) scored to give the Senators a strangle hold on the lead of 5-1. The Avalanche would snap one home by Teemu Selanne @ 7:22 to bring Colorado a little closer. Daniel Alfredsson would score at 18:37 to take a huge lead of 6-2 going into the third period.
The third yet again seen Ottawa score the opening goal of the period as Daniel Alfredsson completed the hat-trick at the 4:12 mark to give the Ottawa Senators a 7-2 lead over the defending champions.
Rob Blake would score late in the third on the power-play, but that would be it as the Ottawa Senators would take Game One of the series.
Ottawa Leads Series 1-0
GAME TWO:
The first period would be quiet up til the 8:49 mark as Chris Kelly would score on the power play to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. They wouldn't stop their as Andrej Meszaros would score at 10:44 to extend their lead to two. That wouldn't be it, as 13:29 Martin Havlat strikes for Ottawa again, on the power play to give them an early 3-0 lead. Avalanche finally get on the board, as Dan Hinote scores at 14:20 to bring the Avalanche within two before the end of the period. 3-1
The second period would stay quiet. The lone goal scored in the period was at the 14:41 mark when Jason Spezza would score short-handed to give Ottawa the three goal lead going to the third period the score being 4-1.
Ottawa would continue the dominance on Colorado as they'd get a goal from Antoine Vermette at 4:15 and Martin Havlat (second of the night) at 12:34 on the power play to give the Senators a 6-1 Lead.
Like Game One; Rob Blake was scored late into the period but again was little to late to get a come back going as Ottawa would win again to take both wins at home of the series.
Ottawa Leads Series 2-0
GAME THREE:
Colorado was hoping for a turn around as they return home for the next two games. The first period wouldn't see any scoring as the only stats were made on the penalty sheet. Colorado had 4/6 of them as we went into the second period scoreless.
The second period would see luck begin in the favor of the Avalanche as Nikolai Antropov would score at 11:30 to give the defending Champions their first lead of the series 1-0. The 12:18 mark seen the Avalanche extend the lead as Joe Sakic would make it 2-0. 2:14 left in the period, Ottawa would strike as Matin Havlat would score on the power play to bring it within one as the period ends.
The 2-1 Avalanche lead would hold only til the 4:48 mark as Martin Havlat would score his second goal of the night on the power play to tie the game up at 2 with 13:12 left in the period.
Peter Forsberg would strike at 7:51 and it would hold up to be the game winning goal as Colorado gets on the board in the series and trail one game back.
Ottawa Leads Series 2-1
GAME FOUR:
The home team would continue being very valuable as Colorado would strike first, as Joe Sakic would score at 7:12 to get the Avalanche the 1-0 lead. Mike Fisher would take a bad boarding penalty at 10:17 to give the Avalanche a chance to extend the lead. Joe Sakic would do just that, 35 seconds into the power play, he would score his second of the game to give his team a 2-0 lead heading into the second period.
The second period took some time, but Matin Havlat would strike at the 12:41 mark of the second to bring his team within one. 1:18 left in the second, Colorado would get their two goal lead back as Peter Forsberg would snap one home to get the score to 3-1 going into the third.
The Avalanche would continue punishing the Senators on the power play as Theo Fleury would strike at 5:15 from Zdeno Chara's Goalie Interference penalty and Steve Konowalchuk would score on Andrej Meszaro's 15min Illegal Check to the Head/ Game Misconduct penalty to give Colorado a 5-1 lead.
Jason Spezza would add one at 18:59, but Avalanche would take the win and tie the series with a 5-2 win.
Colorado Ties Series 2-2
GAME FIVE:
Ottawa returns home, hoping the home ice advantage keeps up through the series. The Avalanche on the other hands looked to change all that and looked promising early as Joe Sakic would open the scoring at 7:54 of the first period. Teemu Selanne & Nikolai Antropov would also add markers to give the Away team a 3-0 lead going into the second period.
4:54 of the second period, Patrick Eaves would get the home fans back into it as he helps Ottawa get on the board, trailing by two. Avalanche would strike at the 9:48 mark thanks to Theo Fleury to extend the lead back to three as the period ends, the score remade 4-1.
The third only took 1:10 to see the next goal and it being Nikolai Antropov's second goal of the game to give the Avalanche a 5-1 lead against the home town team.
Martin Havlat would score a minute after Colorado's last goal, but that would be the last goal of the game, as the defending Champions take their first lead of the series with a 5-2 win over the Senators
Colorado Lead Series 3-2
GAME SIX:
Avalanche look to close out the series at home and do so with opening the scoring of the game. John-Michael Liles is the man to do so 10:57 into the period to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. It wouldn't hold up though, as Patrick Eaves would score 2:23 after to tie this one at 1 a piece heading into the second period.
Despite having 6/9 of the penalties of the second period, The Ottawa Senators would have the only goal of the period at the 3:17 mark by Antoine Vermette as the Senators would go into the third leading 2-1.
The third period would hold up with the 2-1 lead, til Theo Fleury would fire home one at 9:24 to tie this game up at 2 a piece. The period would end with us going into Overtime. Next goal either being a return back to Ottawa or the raising of the Stanley Cup by the end of this one.
The overtime lasted 7:03 before Ottawa Senators Josh Langfeld would score the game winning goal from Greg de Vries and Wade Redden to send the Stanley Cup Finals to another Game Seven.
Ottawa Force Game Seven
GAME SEVEN:
Game Seven in Ottawa started of with a lot of tension. The first period would see no scoring, but 6 penalties going in favor of Ottawa (4 of them). As the first period would end scoreless.
Steve Konowalchuk would open the scoring for Colorado the 12:26 mark of the second to open the scoring of this game. The goal seemed to spark the offense as Theo Fleury would score 41 seconds after Konowalchuk's goal to give the Colorado Avalanche a 2-0 lead going into the third period.
The period timed down as it looked as though the defending champions would be raising the cup again. 16:31 the Senators would strike to bring them within one of tying this one as Josh Landfeld scores the goal. The clock continued counting down as 5...4...3...2...1 is heard and cheers follow after as the Colorado Avalanche defend their Championship and are the 2005/2006 Stanley Cup Champions!
COLORADO AVALANCHE - 2005/2006 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
