WESTERN FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 7:
#2 DALLAS STARS vs #4 COLORADO AVALANCHE
Series tied 3-3
Game time: Saturday May 27th, 2000 7pm at Dallas
For the second straight season, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche clash tonight in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. En route to capturing the first Stanley Cup championship in team history, the Stars rallied from a three games to two deficit and defeated the Avalanche, 4-1, in Game 7. Dallas went on to top Buffalo for the Cup.
The role was reversed this year as the Stars held a 3-2 series lead before the Avalanche forced a decisive game. Ray Bourque scored in the second period and set up Chris Drury's game-winner in the third as Colorado posted a 2-1 victory on Thursday.
Acquired from Boston with Dave Andreychuk in early March, Bourque's 6-0 record in Game 7s is the best among active players. He has a goal and four assists in those contests but has not been in a seventh game since 1994 against Montreal. Patrick Roy stopped 26 shots and is tied with Dallas counterpart Ed Belfour with a .930 save percentage. Roy posted identical 2-0 wins in Games 1 and 3 and is tied with Clint Benedict for the most career playoff shutouts with 15.
But Roy is 2-4 in Game 7s and has dropped his last three. His last victory was with Montreal against Hartford in the 1992 Adams Division semifinals.
Brett Hull scored Dallas' lone goal on Thursday and has 86 career postseason tallies, passing former New York Islanders star Mike Bossy for fifth all-time. Glenn Anderson is next with 93.
The Avalanche are 0-for-11 on the power play over the last three contests after scoring at least one power-play goal in the four previous games.
Dallas right wing Jamie Langenbrunner did not play Thursday due to a knee injury and is doubtful for tonight's contest. Defenseman Richard Matvichuk suffered a concussion in Game 6 and is questionable for tonight.
The Stars won Game 5 here on Tuesday, 3-2, on Joe Nieuwendyk's overtime goal are 8-1 at home in the playoffs. Dallas is 4-5 all-time in seventh games.
Belfour is 3-0 lifetime in Game Seven, including a pair of victories with Chicago.
Colorado is 2-3 in Game 7s but has dropped its last three. The last victory came against Montreal in the Adams Division finals in 1985, when the franchise was based in Quebec.
Tonight's winner faces the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.