1998 —The Avalanche Falls—Page 2

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As the Oilers looked certain to face defeat, questions were being asked of Curtis Joseph; the man who had been so instrumental in beating the Stars the year before had a rather lacklustre series so far.  The money playoff goalie had allowed 13 goals in the past three games, and the newspaper columnists were not letting him forget it.

Despite the press, the Oilers were still confident going into a do-or-die situation in Denver; and that confidence came from Guerin. The American winger who won a Cup with the 1995 Devils team, had been the sole bright spot through all four games, scoring four times. After the Avs took a 1-0 lead in Game 5, it was Guerin who responded with the tying goal, and just as the Avs took inspiration from Sakic earlier in the series, the Oilers fed off Guerin’s energy, fighting back for a 3-1 win.

 "It’s the playoffs, man," Guerin said after the Game 5 win. "If everyone does their share on the ice, then this team can come back and win. I’m just happy to be part of this. I don’t go out thinking that I have to score the clutch goal; I just try to do my job."

"This whole team—we’re playing hard, we’re playing decent. Some games we didn’t win, but I thought we played well. We just have to keep playing with that attitude. We haven’t won anything, yet."

And the lone goal scored by the Avalanche in Game 5 would be the last time Colorado would beat Joseph. He was spectacular in Game 6, leading the Oilers to a 2-0 win to finally give the home fans a victory to cheer about. For Game 7, in front of a pensive McNichols Arena crowd, Joseph badly outplayed Roy. And when Niinimaa came off the point to give the Oilers a 1-0 first period lead, it opened the floodgates to a impressive 4-0 win. Over the last three games, the Oilers outscored the Avalanche 9-1, capping a remarkable comeback from the brink of elimination.

The win sent fans into a frenzy; thousands of Edmontonians poured onto Jasper Avenue downtown and the trendy Whyte Avenue district to hold impromptu victory parades that lasted well into the night.

The Oilers met Dallas in the next round of the playoffs, and the tired Oilers could not repeat their magic of 1997 against the Stars. Dallas won the series four games to one, but Oilers fans were consoled by the fact that their upstart young team had given them another upset to savour.

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