Avalanche Still Sharp, Still Favored

The numbers say the Colorado Avalanche is a better team than it was a year ago. But the real proof of Colorado’s excellence isn’t in its league-leading 32-13-8 record, its top-ranked penalty killing or the league-high six shutouts recorded by goaltender Patrick Roy.

The most persuasive evidence lies in the players’ refusal to accept anything but excellence, and that was evident Sunday when the Avalanche wore down the Mighty Ducks, 5-2.

“This time of the year is hard,” Roy said. “We’re far from the beginning and still far from the end and sometimes it’s hard to prepare yourself for the game. But we have to do it because in the playoffs, you have to come with consistency. It’s very important we don’t do the same mistake other teams, like the Detroit Red Wings, did. We’ve got to keep playing with passion.”

The Red Wings had the NHL’s best record last season but their precision was no match for Colorado’s grit, energy and skill in the Western Conference finals. Thanks to the prodding of Coach Marc Crawford and the vigilance of veterans Roy, Claude Lemieux and Mike Keane, the Avalanche has maintained its enthusiasm and raised its standards this season.

“Even the first night I was here, I sensed the attitude was, ‘Let’s go out and win the Stanley Cup,’ ” said winger Keith Jones, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals Nov. 2 for Chris Simon. “I never experienced that. In Washington it was, ‘Let’s make the playoffs.’ It’s great. There are so many talented players on this team, so many unselfish players.”

Depth and heart kept the Avalanche ahead of the pack, even after Lemieux underwent abdominal surgery and Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic suffered leg injuries.

“With what we all went through last year, we learned how to win,” said right wing Scott Young. “We had to play well defensively to be successful and it’s carried over to this year. The coaches aren’t going to let us slip. If we win but we’re not playing well, they’ll right the ship.”

The ship appears to be on course for a Cup repeat, although Crawford noted he has less experience on defense without Craig Wolanin and Curtis Leschyshyn and less toughness without Simon.

“We’re happy with our team, but you’re always looking to see if we can improve without screwing up your chemistry,” he said. “We work pretty hard at keeping this unit together and getting to this point. I like us the way we are.”

HAWKISH ON BLACKHAWKS

In his first two games with the Chicago Blackhawks, winger Ulf Dahlen had game-winning goals.

“I’ll take it,” said Dahlen, the least heralded of the three players Chicago got from San Jose for Ed Belfour. “We’ve got 20 heroes. Everybody is working hard and playing the system.”

Although it’s too soon to say the trade will transform the Blackhawks from underachievers to winners, it added a jolt of energy and lightened the team’s mood.

“He’s a good player,” Denis Savard said of Dahlen, who skated on Savard’s left, with Tony Amonte on the right. “His feet are always moving and it’s tough for a defenseman to play against him. He’s a veteran and he understands the game.”

Dahlen, who had eight goals in 43 games with the Sharks before the deal, always considered the Blackhawks a difficult opponent “because they work so hard. They just weren’t getting breaks.”

With a break or two, and with goalie Jeff Hackett assured of playing regularly--and without fear of being derided by Belfour--Dahlen believes the Blackhawks will become a force.

“I can’t see any reason why we won’t make the playoffs,” he said. “This is a good team. And if we do get in you can say, without trying to pretend, we have a good enough team to go all the way.”

THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN

When the Montreal Canadiens lost their first four games last season by a cumulative 20-4 score, Coach Jacques Demers and General Manager Serge Savard were fired. But when the Canadiens were outscored, 24-5, in losing four straight games last week, the only result was a team meeting.

Firing Coach Mario Tremblay or General Manager Rejean Houle wouldn’t help much now. For a team long renowned for great defense and goaltending, the Canadiens are shockingly inept. Through Sunday, they ranked 25th with a 3.47 team goals-against average and had allowed opponents to take a league-leading 1,850 shots.

Some blame belongs to Tremblay for a philosophy based more on emotion than strategy, but goaltending is also a problem, and Houle is to blame for that.

Appointed last season despite his inexperience, Houle lacked the wisdom and patience to defuse tension between Tremblay and Roy. Backing Tremblay, Houle dealt the NHL’s best big-game goalie to Colorado and gave the starting job to Jocelyn Thibault, then 20.

Several players told the Journal de Montreal last week that they had no confidence in Thibault or backup Pat Jablonski and said the club needs a veteran goalie who could push Thibault to hone his skills. Houle responded by putting Jablonski on waivers and promoting 20-year-old Jose Theodore from the minor leagues. That won’t change anything.

WHALE’S TALE

The Hartford Whalers expect to know within weeks whether they will remain in Connecticut or pack their bags for Columbus, Ohio, or St. Paul, Minn.

By the end of the month, Connecticut officials will announce if they have found it economically feasible to build a domed complex for the Whalers and the University of Connecticut’s athletic teams. The Whalers contend they need a new building to survive because the Civic Center can’t be renovated.

“Everybody needs to know,” General Manager Jim Rutherford said. “It’s been pretty unstable for the last couple of years. Now we have to face reality. Are we staying or going?”

The Whalers have endured constant turmoil this season. Besides questions about their future, they have dealt with trade demands by Brendan Shanahan and Paul Coffey, injuries that kept key players such as defenseman Jeff Brown out of the lineup, and a slump that dropped them out of playoff position in the East.

“It’s so easy in sports to use that as an excuse, but I feel that’s unacceptable,” Rutherford said. “We have to perform on the [ice]. We’ve taken our season-ticket base from 5,200 to 9,000 and we can’t just look to the future. We owe our fans the effort to try and make it work now.”

SLAP SHOTS

Mike Keenan and officials of the St. Louis Blues are scheduled to meet with Commissioner Gary Bettman next Monday to discuss their dispute over Keenan’s contract. Keenan claims he’s owed $11 million but the Blues may sue for breach of contract. They’re offering a $2 million buyout.

Washington General Manager David Poile, on the deal he’d like to make during GM meetings that began Monday in Tucson, Ariz.: “We’ve been looking for the same thing for 15 years--a goal scorer. We’d like somebody who can score some goals other than Peter Bondra.” Bondra leads the team with 32 and runner-up Joe Juneau has 14.

Bondra, suspended for kneeing Florida winger Ray Sheppard on Saturday, said the injury wasn’t intentional. But Sheppard, whose knee was too swollen for a diagnosis, was incensed. “You should have enough respect for the players in the league that you wouldn’t put their career in jeopardy,” he said.

Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman goes for his 1,000th victory today. . . . Ottawa General Manager Pierre Gauthier was named an assistant GM for the 1998 Canadian Olympic team, instead of Florida’s Bryan Murray. Bob Gainey of Dallas will also assist General Manager Bob Clarke, who hopes to persuade Mario Lemieux to play in Nagano. Lemieux has said that if he retires, he won’t come back for the Olympics.

Clarke wants to push back the Aug. 1 deadline for submitting rosters. That date was set to give the NHL and NHL Players Assn. time to make marketing deals. The tail wags the dog. . . . Mikael Renberg is off the Flyers’ Legion of Doom Line, replaced by 18-year-old rookie Dainius Zubrus. Renberg, with 10 goals and 28 points in 51 games, is with Joel Otto and Shjon Podein on a defensive line.

Breaking Away From Tradition

The Montreal Canadiens, long synonymous with great defense and goaltending, have given up 189 goals in compiling a 19-25-10 record. At that pace they will give up 287 goals, their second-highest total. Here are the Canadiens’ worst goals-against totals:

*--*

Season Goals Record 1983-84 295 35-40-5 1982-83 286 42-24-14 1985-86* 280 40-33-7 1992-93* 280 48-30-6 1984-85 262 41-27-12

*--*

* won Stanley Cup