One year older, Adam Deadmarsh also seemed wiser, spouting a new philosophy.
No longer playing tight and tentative, Deadmarsh scored two goals, including the game-winner with 1:08 left, as the Colorado Avalanche beat Edmonton 4-3 Sunday night to advance to the NHL's final four.The defending Stanley Cup champions, who ousted the Oilers in five games, will meet Detroit in a rematch of last season's bitter and bloody Western Conference final. That best-of-7 series will start Thursday night in Denver.
With Peter Forsberg and Stephane Yelle sidelined by injuries, Deadmarsh picked up the slack.
Deadmarsh, Colorado's leading goal-scorer during the regular season but recently in a slump, put the Avs ahead 2-0 early in the second period. Edmonton rallied to tie and, after each team scored in the third period, Deadmarsh got a power-play goal, beating Curtis Joseph from in front of the goal on a pass from Valeri Kamensky.
"I didn't even see the pass coming," Deadmarsh said. "I had my stick on the ice. Val made an unbelievable pass and he hit it. It was a pretty amazing pass."
Deadmarsh's first goal came when he redirected a shot between his legs and past Joseph.
"It was a very fortunate goal," he said. "Those things don't go in very often. But I guess if you redirect the puck or throw the puck at the net, you never know what's going to happen."
Flyers 6, Sabres 3
At Buffalo, N.Y., the Philadelphia Flyers had just earned a berth in the Eastern Conference finals, yet their dressing room seemed more quiet than a slow day at the library.
No music was blasting. The Flyers weren't running around exchanging hugs or singing songs. There were a few smiles, but nothing that would indicate Philadelphia had just defeated the Buffalo Sabres and moved a step closer to the Stanley Cup.
"If you're happy right now, it's the attitude we don't want," goalie Ron Hextall said Sunday. "We want to be happy, and we want to enjoy it, but to think we accomplished anything now is stretching things. We expected to be in the final four."
The Flyers can thank star center Eric Lindros, who scored two goals - one on a penalty shot - as Philadelphia closed out Buffalo in five games. The Flyers will play the New York Rangers in the conference finals, which start Friday night in Philadelphia.
Dainius Zubrus also had two goals, the second an empty-netter with 12 seconds left. John LeClair and Shjon Podein also scored, and Rod Brind'Amour had three assists for Philadelphia.
Rangers 2, Devils 1, OT
At East Rutherford, N.J., The New York Rangers did more than beat the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs for the third time in six years. They beat them at their own game.
A free-wheeling, skating team in the regular-season, the Rangers have become a solid defense-orientated team in the playoffs.
They limited Florida to 10 goals in beating the Panthers in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. Goalie Mike Richter cut that in half in eliminating the Devils in the second round in five games.
The Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final with a win on Sunday at the Continental Airlines Arena. Richter made 46 saves and Adam Graves ended the Devils' season by scoring on a overtime wraparound similar to Stephane Matteau's 1994 playoff series winner.
"The stakes are higher every round you go to because you face better teams as you go," said Richter, who faced 182 shots in the series. "We feel the team we just played is a top team in the league. We also have that kind of respect for Philadelphia, too."