DENVER — Different generations, different styles of hockey. But the entertainment value is undoubtedly the same.
The Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2001. It had centers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, defensemen Ray Bourque and Rob Blake, and goalie Patrick Roy — all first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famers.
But that was in a clutch-and-grab era, before the labor lockout of 2004-05 in which there was no hockey.
The new collective bargaining agreement that followed the full-season cancellation changed the game. Opponents could no longer brutalize Forsberg and get away with it. The game opened up. More speed. The players didn’t love it because the new CBA began the salary-cap era, and Avs fans weren’t thrilled because their club could no longer afford Forsberg, who went to the Philadelphia Flyers to begin 2005-06.
But that’s precisely why the 2021-22 Avalanche is so interesting. Sakic, now the club’s general manager, has built this fabulous team under the $81.5 million salary cap with a lot of similar-style players as 2000-01. And they have more speed. Sakic has built the fastest team in the league.
Let’s compare.
For starters, Sakic has a superstar center like himself in 2001. Nathan MacKinnon is as dominating down the middle as Sakic was in ’01. Sakic had Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk on his wings at even strength back then. MacKinnon will play with Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin and/or Mikko Rantanen in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
That’s a draw heading into the 2022 championship series.
And what about the defensemen? The 2001 team has the edge — but only because of age and experience. Ask anybody — the Bourque, Blake and Adam Foote top-three trio was stupendous because Bourque and Blake were so good in all areas of the ice and Foote was always the most defensive and toughest guy on the ice.
The Avs never trailed in Game 7 of the Finals against the New Jersey Devils and Foote logged a game-high 29:44 at what was then called the Pepsi Center. Bourque was right behind at 29:35 and Blake logged 24:34. It was a Hall of Fame defensive performance in front of Roy, who stopped 25 of 26 shots (.962) in the 3-1 victory to win his fourth Stanley Cup on June 9, 2001.
Today’s top Avalanche pairing of lefty Devon Toews and righty Cale Makar might be the best pairing in the league, and rookie blueliner Bo Byram — who born four days after the last time the Avs won the Cup — has already proved he has the potential to be a game-changer.
In terms of depth, I might prefer defensemen Erik Johnson, Josh Manson and Jack Johnson over the 2001 depth defensemen Martin Skoula, Jon Klemm and Greg de Vries.
There is no comparison in goal. Darcy Kuemper or Pavel Francouz has nothing on Roy.
Roy, at age 35 in 2001, had an amazing postseason with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. Kuemper, the likely Game 1 starter on Wednesday, is currently at 2.65 and .897, and Francouz is at 2.86 and .906. No comparison.
But here’s a good one for Avalanche fans who hate to see second-line center Nazem Kadri likely out for Game 1 and beyond with a surgically repaired broken right thumb.
Forsberg missed the entire 2001 Western Conference finals and Stanley Cup Final because of a removed ruptured spleen following the Game 7 victory against the Los Angeles Kings in the second round.
Forsberg had 14 points before his spleen ruptured. Kadri has 14 points entering Wednesday.
Probably just a coincidence.
But the 2022 team is four wins away from becoming as legendary as the 2001 squad.
