WESTERN QUARTER-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 2:
#1 ST. LOUIS BLUES vs #8 SAN JOSE SHARKS
St. Louis leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 15th, 2000 2pm at St. Louis
The St. Louis Blues hope for a better defensive effort as they try to take a commanding two games to none lead over San Jose in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. St. Louis overcame a rough start and received a pair of tallies from rookie Jochen Hecht en route to a 6-3 victory over San Jose on Wednesday.
With leading scorer Pavol Demitra still recovering from a concussion, Hecht stepped up for the Presidents' Trophy winners. He answered an early goal by Dave Lowry by scoring 5:41 into the first period, then broke a 2-2 deadlock at 2:29 of the second.
Hecht got to a rebound of Jamal Mayers' shot at the top of the slot, skated to the left faceoff circle and put a wrist shot over goaltender Steve Shields, who had come far out of his crease.
Norris trophy candidate, defenseman Chris Pronger, was the target of many hits by San Jose players. Sharks defenseman Bryan Marchment, who is known for his questionable play, tried to make an impression on the Blues when he delivered an elbow across rookie Lubos Bartecko's throat.
Goaltender Roman Turek, who finished second during the regular season with a 1.95 goals-against average and seven shutouts, allowed three goals for the third straight contest. St. Louis became the first team in 44 years to allow fewer than two goals per game.
The Blues, who are making their 21st straight playoff appearance, also are looking to advance past the second round for the first time since 1986.
San Jose has not won a playoff series since 1995 but has a history of first-round upsets, stunning Detroit in 1994 and surprising Calgary a year later. Last season, the Sharks gave everything they could in their first-round matchup with Colorado, but bowed out in six games.
Dave Lowry, who spent five seasons with St. Louis, tallied only 46 seconds into the contest for his first goal in 25 games since November 18.
San Jose captain Owen Nolan, who was bothered by a shoulder injury to end the regular season, capped the scoring with a shorthanded goal.
#2 DALLAS STARS vs #7 EDMONTON OILERS
Dallas leads 1-0
Game time: Thursday April 13th, 2000 9pm at Dallas
In a series renowned for its one-goal games, the Dallas Stars look to go up two games on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night when they play Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals. These teams played their sixth straight one-goal game in the playoffs on Wednesday, which was once again won by the Stars. Rookie Roman Lyashenko scored his first career playoff goal with 8:29 left as Dallas squeaked out a 2-1 victory in the opener.
Goaltender Ed Belfour made the lead stand up for the defending Stanley Cup champions with only 13 saves, including two in the third period. He is 13-2 lifetime in the playoffs against Edmonton with eight straight victories.
Edmonton metminder Tommy Salo stopped 30 shots, but fell to 0-12-1 lifetime against Dallas, including the playoffs. Salo is 0-5 for the Oilers in postseason with each of those games decided by one goal.
Mike Keane scored his 29th career playoff goal to put the Stars ahead in the second period. But German Titov, acquired by Edmonton from Pittsburgh earlier this season, knotted the contest seven minutes into the third.
Stars' rookie left wing Brenden Morrow left after two periods with a charley horse and is questionable for tonight.
In addition to the conference quarterfinals against Edmonton last season, Dallas also took a 2-0 lead against St. Louis in the Western semis en route to winning the Stanley Cup. The last time the Stars held a 2-0 lead and lost the series was the 1992 Norris Division semifinals against St. Louis.
Edmonton won Game Two of the Western semifinals two years ago here against Dallas, but lost the next three contests. That was the Oilers' last road playoff win as they have dropped four in a row since then.
Game 3 is Sunday in Edmonton.
#3 COLORADO AVALANCHE vs #6 PHOENIX COYOTES
Colorado leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 15th, 2000 2pm at Colorado
The Colorado Avalanche look for a commanding two games to none lead over the Phoenix Coyotes tonight when they play Game two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh scored twice during a four-goal first period and Shjon Podein added two more as Colorado won the opener of its Western Conference quarterfinals series, 6-3, over Phoenix in Game One.
Ozolinsh also assisted on Dave Andreychuk's tally for his first three-point game since November 30 at Calgary.
The Avalanche played their first playoff game without superstar center Peter Forsberg, who is bothered by a separated right shoulder. Colorado played 33 games without him during the regular season following surgery on the other shoulder and a concussion.
Goaltender Patrick Roy did not face much of a test from Phoenix in the opener, facing just 12 shots, for his 111th career playoff victory.
Colorado has won nine of 15 series in franchise history when picking up a victory in Game One.
Phoenix struggled out of the gate, allowing the game's first four goals, but Shane Doan did his best to rally the troops, scoring a goal and assisting on two others as the Coyotes narrowed the deficit to two goals on two occassions.
However, goaltender Sean Burke's struggles in the playoffs continued. He allowed questionable tallies in the third period and finished with 32 saves.
Burke, who has just one win in his last eight playoff games, stopped 32 shots. He has not won a playoff series in 12 years and has played in only two since.
The Coyotes have dropped four straight playoff games dating back to last season and have not won a series since 1987, losing eight straight since the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Calgary Flames in the Smythe Division semifinals.
#4 DETROIT RED WINGS vs #5 LOS ANGELES
Detroit leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 15th, 2000 2pm at Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings hope to have their captain back this afternoon when they look for a two games to none series lead over the Los Angeles Kings in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Steve Yzerman was a scratch in the series' opening game due to a bout of the flu. The Red Wings' emotional leader, top scorer and one of the best players in NHL history, did not play after throwing up before the game.
Without him in the lineup, Detroit received tallies from goals from Vyacheslav Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov to blank Los Angeles, 2-0, on Thursday.
The Red Wings played a tight-checking game and stifled the Kings, limiting them to 19 shots and helping goaltender Chris Osgood outduel counterpart Stephane Fiset to his seventh postseason shutout.
Los Angeles pushed for the equalizer in the third period but Osgood was up to the task with 6 1/2 minutes left, stopping snipers Luc Robitaille and Zigmund Palffy on a flurry.
Playing his ninth playoff game, Fiset stopped 29 shots and kept the Kings close in the third, denying Brent Gilchrist on a breakaway with 5:13 to go.
Los Angeles has not won a playoff series since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. In fact, the Kings are appearing in the postseason for only the second time in the last seven years.
The Kings' last trip to the playoffs was anything but memorable as they were swept in the 1998 West quarterfinals by St. Louis. Only 12 players are left from that team as general manager Dave Taylor turned over the roster and coach Andy Murray oversaw a 25-point turnaround in his first season behind the bench.
Los Angeles has lost nine straight playoff games and is looking for its first playoff victory since the opening game of the 1993 Finals against Montreal.