The Avalanche is on the cusp of advancing to the Western Conference final for the first time in 20 years — since 2002 when the club was led by future Hall of Famers Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Rob Blake, plus retired jersey members Adam Foote and Milan Hejduk.
The Avs lead the St. Louis Blues 3-1 in the conference semifinal series and will advance to play Edmonton or Calgary in the next closest step to the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Blues in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.
Three keys for Colorado:
1) Score first, set the pace.