Lupul Helps Mighty Ducks Push Avalanche to the Edge
Mighty Ducks 4, Avalanche 3
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Wednesday, May 10, 2006
DENVER, May 9 -- Even though Ilya Bryzgalov wasn't impeccable, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks remained perfect thanks to Joffrey Lupul's four goals Tuesday night.
Lupul's three goals in regulation and one in overtime gave the Ducks a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche and a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.
Bryzgalov's shutout streak ended at three games, but the Ducks are still a win away from the conference finals.
The Ducks can complete the sweep Thursday at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche will try to join the 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs as the only teams to win series after losing the first three games.
Colorado had won its last six playoff overtime games, tops in the NHL and a franchise record, including three over Dallas in the first round of this year's playoffs.
After both teams killed a power play in the extra period, Dustin Penner stole the puck from Patrice Brisebois in the Colorado zone and fed Lupul, who added to his first career hat trick with a shot from between the circles that beat Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore at 16 minutes 30 seconds of overtime.
The Avalanche took a 2-1 lead on Jim Dowd's short-handed goal early in the third period, but Colorado was lax on defense and allowed Lupul to score his second and third goals less than two minutes apart.
Defenseman Rob Blake got caught pinching in on the blue line and Alex Tanguay's turnover led to a 2-on-1 breakaway and Lupul tied it with his second goal at 8:54. He gave Anaheim a 3-2 led at 10:40 with a slap shot from between the circles.
The deflated Avalanche fought back to tie it at 3 on Blake's slap shot at 13:35.
Bryzgalov allowed a goal for the first time in 249 minutes 15 seconds when he gave up a goal late in the first period. The rookie's streak is the second-longest in NHL playoff history, trailing only George Hainsworth's 270:08, set in 1930 for Montreal.
After posting three straight shutouts, including two against the Avalanche in Anaheim, Bryzgalov finally gave up a goal when Dan Hinote tapped the puck past him with 26 seconds left in the first period, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead.
