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Sweet taste Avalanche revel in second title since '96
DENVER (AP) -- Amid a euphoric celebration in an overflowing locker room, Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix tipped his head back and gulped champagne from the Stanley Cup. "Tastes different," he said. Sweeter, perhaps. Five years after winning the Stanley Cup in their first season in Denver, the Avs survived an emotional journey that culminated Saturday night with a 3-1 victory that allowed defenseman Ray Bourque to lift, kiss and embrace the cup for first time in his 22-year career. "Seeing Ray hold the Cup and the expressions on his face, there couldn't be a better story," said Peter Forsberg, who missed the final 12 playoff games following surgery to remove his ruptured spleen. "It happened twice in Denver now. You've got John Elway winning with the Broncos, and for us to win it here for Ray, I think it's just awesome. This town should be really happy it happened for two great guys," Forsberg said. Bourque's successful "Mission 16W" and Forsberg's injury on the eve of the Western Conference finals represented the highs and lows Colorado experienced while becoming the first team since 1971 to recover from a 3-2 series deficit in the finals. The Avs, who won the Presidents' Trophy given to the league's top team in the regular season, needed seven games to eliminate the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Kings in the conference semifinals and lost two of three home games to the defending champion New Jersey Devils in the finals before dominating Games 6 and 7. "We never thought in our dressing room that it would end," head coach Bob Hartley said. "We knew that to win the Stanley Cup it would be a long and bumpy road. There would be some great times. There would be some tough times." It was a far different formula from the championship in 1996. Colorado never needed more than six games in a series that year and swept the Florida Panthers in the finals. "There is no way to compare this with the last cup," Lacroix said. "This is so much better. Everyone who has ever won multiple championships has told me that a repeat is so difficult and I believe them. I now know how hard it is." Lacroix will not have long to revel in Colorado's accomplishment. Bourque, 40, may retire after 1,826 regular-season and playoff games, and captain Joe Sakic, goalie Patrick Roy and defenseman Rob Blake are eligible for free agency on July 1. If Bourque retires, the Avs may be able to keep the other three. If not, finding the money could be difficult even for first-year owner Stan Kroenke, whose wife is a Wal-Mart heiress. "It is no secret, there's a lot of issues to be addressed," Lacroix said. "We will take one issue at a time starting ... how about Tuesday? Until Tuesday, we are pretty busy." Pleasure before business. The Avs will celebrate with their fans Monday during a 15-block parade that will end downtown at Civic Center Park, the site of previous celebrations for the Avalanche in 1996 and the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999. Bourque, now a conquering hero instead of a sentimental favorite, will be there with his wife and three children. Roy, who won his third Conn Smythe Trophy after a phenomenal playoff run, will celebrate again eight months after becoming hockey's winningest goaltender. Hartley, who began his career working in a paper mill at age 18 and later moved to windshield factory, will be there representing the 10,000 fans in Hawkesbury, Ontario, the town that gave him his first coaching job 14 years ago. "When I lifted the Cup, I saw somewhere in Ontario on the Quebec border," Hartley said. "I saw the little city that I am very proud of." More than 100,000 of Hartley's fellow Colorado residents are expected to join the parade, which comes four months after Denver played host to the NHL All-Star Game. "The Presidents' Trophy, the All-Star game, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy's record. I don't think you can find anything better," Lacroix said. "Our fans deserve everything that this team has accomplished this year." As for the Devils, they returned to New Jersey thinking of what might have been after falling one victory short of their third title in seven seasons. The Devils came into Denver a confident bunch before Game 7 but left in tears of sorrow and frustration following another night of unnecessary penalties and insufficient offense. New Jersey was outscored 15-2 in the four finals losses. "All that aside, I am very proud of this team," head coach Larry Robinson said. "We came through a lot of adversity over the year. The team had a tremendous year. I mean, how much farther can you go?"
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