They Seek Answers, Not Excuses

The Colorado Avalanche was cliche-ready Saturday, the day after taking a 5-0 beating.

Said captain Joe Sakic: “Which one do you want? ‘We need to be more desperate’ or ‘We have our backs against the wall’ or ‘We came needing to win one game.’ We played an awful game. Obviously, we have to be better. We have to skate and put pressure on them.”

The Avalanche reviewed the game tape, “which was kind of hard to watch,” Sakic said.

“That looked like the continuation of the Ducks’ third period against Calgary in Game 7,” Ian Laperriere said. “They had that kind of momentum. We have to match that intensity.”

Asked whether having four days off left the Avalanche rusty, Laperriere said, “Excuses, excuses, excuses. You’re in the second round of the playoffs. You don’t get here with excuses. We have to play better.”

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The Ducks today will play their ninth playoff game in 17 days, a stretch that includes three trips to Calgary, but winger Jeff Friesen said he didn’t see signs of fatigue creeping in.

“It’s obviously a credit to how these guys have prepared all year and their conditioning,” he said. “In the weight room, they’re a hard-working group.”

Having started his career in San Jose before moving on to New Jersey and Washington and back to California with the Ducks, he has experienced the extensive travel that Western teams must complete as well as the easier East Coast schedule. Spending more time on the road can take a toll, he said, but he hasn’t felt it this season.

“Really, it is a big difference, the travel, but now that I’ve come back here to the West, it seems more enjoyable this year,” he said. “There are more road trips and you spend more time with the guys, playing cards. The East Coast is a lot of short trips, and it’s good that you’re in your own bed a lot, but you miss a little bit of that camaraderie with your teammates.

“The travel wasn’t as bad as I initially thought when I came back. When you have a great group of guys ... you want to be around each other.”

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There was no way Travis Moen could let this opportunity slide past him.

The Ducks’ seldom-used left wing got a pass from Ryan Getzlaf in the third period and scored the first playoff goal of his career to cap the Game 1 victory over the Avalanche.

“You’ve got to make it count,” Moen said with a laugh. “It wouldn’t have been fun if I missed.”

Moen had been an extra forward through much of the regular season and playoffs, and was playing only because of a knee injury to rookie Corey Perry. But he made the most of his 10 minutes 22 seconds of ice time as he also fought Colorado’s Laperriere at the end of the second period.

“I was a little lucky there in the third,” Moen said. “I got a chance for my first playoff goal. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

After playing in all 82 games as a rookie with Chicago in 2003-04, Moen acknowledged his lack of playing time has been frustrating for him personally. He played in only 39 games during the regular season.

“I haven’t played a bunch this year, but it makes it more necessary for me to stay in good shape,” Moen said. “You don’t know when you’re going to get the call to play.”

Perry, injured after colliding with teammate Samuel Pahlsson during Game 7 against Calgary, said he expected to be ready to play today.

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Colorado forward Andrew Brunette, who suffered a bruised jaw when he was hit by the shoulder of Duck defenseman Francois Beauchemin during the second period of Friday’s game and did not return, practiced on Saturday and said he felt strong enough to return today.

Chris Foster, Helene Elliott and Eric Stephens contributed to this report.