Would the Avalanche beat the Stars in 2001?

[Langdon Alger]

I was watching the NHL network classic series between the Avs and Stars in 2000, and it got me thinking if the Avs could have taken the Stars in the 2001 conference finals. The Stars beat the Avs in the conference finals in both 1999 and 2000. Both series went seven games. The Blues took the Stars out in round 2 in 2001, and went on to lose to the Avs in five.

Who would have won if the Stars and Avs met in the conference finals for a third straight year?

Click to read more...

 

[Bonzai12]

2-1-1 Regular season series to the Avs.

Would have been close either way.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

After going to back-to-back finals, Dallas was simply out of gas. They were an aging team and it took all the juice they had left plus heroics from Belfour just to get past the Oilers in round one. St. Louis swept the Stars in that second round series, and I have a hard time believing the Avalanche wouldn't have done likewise had that match-up occured.

 

[seventieslord]

Doubtful. No one was beating the Avs that year. Like Kyle said, Dallas was worn out by then.

 

[EpochLink]

Doubtful. No one was beating the Avs that year. Like Kyle said, Dallas was worn out by then.

And it showed. In 2002, Dallas missed the playoffs.
Hull went to Detroit prior to that season and won his second Cup.
Belfour left via free agency after that year, in which Turco got the starting job.
Hitchcock was soon replaced by Dave Tippet.

 

[tony d]

The Avs would have won in 6.

 

[Big Phil]

The Avs win for sure. They almost won in 1999 and 2000. Both were 7 game series vs. Dallas. Bourque hits the post in the dying seconds in Game 7 in 2000.

But that year was the "Mission 16:W" for the Avs. They were not going to lose this one if only for the fact that Bourque needed a Cup.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Avs had Blake and home ice. All of the interviews from that season they said their goal from day one of training was to have home ice for a game seven after losing two in a row on the road.

Roy also had a huge bounce back. He wasnt bad by any stretch in 99 or 00 but he stepped his game up to his old Roy-in-prime self.

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

That was the Avs' year. I'm sure they would've liked to play the Stars because that would have been their revenge.

 

[IcedMaidenDeth]

I have to admit that I do sometimes feel cheated the Avalanche didn't have to go through Detroit and/or Dallas in 2001, but at least they got the best team in the East and defending champions in the finals.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Likely. The Avs beat the Devils in the Finals in '01, and that Devils team is considered by many to be superior to the previous year's incarnation which won the Cup (and beat the Stars to do it). The Avs were an absolute force in 2001.