Preview & Recap-Stanley Cup Finals
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECAPS ON BOTH CONFERENCE FINAL SERIES
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Scroll down a little bit for a game-by-game detailed recap on each of the seven Stanley Cup Finals games. Or you can click a link above and look at any of the other series during the Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals (round 4 of 4)
#1 New
Jersey Devils 
vs. #1 Colorado Avalanche 
Colorado wins series 4-3 (scroll down for a game-by-game recap of this series)
-The
Colorado Avalanche are the 2001 Stanley Cup Champions
Devils regular season record: 48-19-12-3=111 pts.
Avalanche regular season record: 52-16-10-4=118 pts.
Predicted Winner: Devils in six Final Result: Avalanche in seven
-Ray
Bourque finally got his chance to win the Stanley Cup
A DETAILED RECAP OF THE 2001 STANLEY CUP FINALS
GAME
1 at Denver, Colorado 
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was held on May 26, 2001. The Avalanche came out with a bang and showed the Devils this series wouldn't be easy. The Av's defeated New Jersey 5-0 to take a 1-0 series lead. Patrick Roy got the shutout and the Devils were stunned and knew that this would be the toughest playoff opponent in six years and that this was the ultimate test, if they could beat the Avalanche in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final and repeat as champions, then they really were one of the greatest teams to skate on the ice.
GAME
2 at Denver, Colorado 
In Game 2 at Colorado the Devils knew if they were to even have a chance at winning the cup they would have to win this game, falling behind 2-0 in the series to the Colorado Avalanche would mean that they would have to play two perfect games with absolutely no mistakes to tie the series 2-2. Game 2 was the game of the unsung heroes. The Devils evened the series 1-1 and won the game 2-1. The goals didn't come from names you would expect like Jason Arnott or Patrick Elias, they came from Bob Corkum and Turner Stevenson, two fairly quiet guys in the playoffs up to this point. With the win, the Devils had a chance at the Cup.
GAME
3 at East Rutherford, New Jersey
-The
Avalanche celebrate after Ray Bourque scores the game-winning goal
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on May 31st was historic and exciting as Ray Bourque became the oldest player to score in the Stanley Cup Finals at age forty and the Avalanche came from behind to win and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Bourque scored a power play goal 31 seconds into the third period to give the Av's a 2-1 lead. After the Bourque goal Colorado dominated the game and the Devils had no chance at all and played like they didn't belong in the Finals and like they just didn't care. The Avalanche added another goal onto the scoreboard and won the game 3-1 and went up 2-1 in the series, they were halfway to the Stanley Cup. At this point in the series many people thought it would be over for the defending champions and that Colorado would take the 3-1 lead in Game 4, but the Devils had other idea's and decided that there was no way they would let that happen to them.
-Ray
Bourque played his best game of the series in Game 3
GAME
4 at East Rutherford, New Jersey
-Game
4 was great for the Devils who proved they can defeat Colorado
Game 4 at the Continental Airlines Arena on June 2nd was a turning point in the series, it was when the Devils avoided going down 3-1 in the Finals and gave the Devils their second win which put both New Jersey and Colorado halfway to the Stanley Cup. The Devils knew going down 3-1 to the Avalanche would assure the Avalanche a Stanley Cup Championship and even Devils goalie Martin Brodeur admitted it would be an impossible task. So the Devils won this game 3-2. The Devils had a horrible first period and the Avalanche scored and just completely controlled the period. When the Devils hit the ice in the second period and got an early power play things turned around, it was the Devils who dominated the Avalanche. Without Patrick Roy in the Colorado goal this would have easily been a 8-2 win for the Devils, but Roy kept the Av's in the game. The Devils came back twice in this game as they trailed 1-0 and 2-1. Going into the third period of a must win game for New Jersey, Colorado lead 2-1. At 8:09 Scott Gomez scored to tie the game 2-2 and a bit later with just 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the game Petr Sykora scored the game-winner and made it 3-2. The Devils then tied the series 2-2 and had all the momentum going into Colorado for Game 5.
GAME
5 at Denver, Colorado
-Martin
Brodeur made a spectacular save in Game 5 that showed signs the Devils were
playing like champions
The Devils played great in the final two periods of Game 4 and played better in all three periods of Game 5 as they crushed the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center in Game 5 on June 4th by a score of 4-1. The Devils played outstanding and Brodeur made his best save of the series (shown above) as the Devils went on to take a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Suddenly things changed and for the first time in this series New Jersey led the series and had control over Colorado going into the next game. The Devils felt good about the Finals for the first time since before they began and knew they can win their second consecutive Stanley Cup on home ice in Game 6. In the Devils most offensive game of the series they got four goals. The four goals came from Patrick Elias, Alexander Mogilny, Sergei Brylin, and John Madden The Devils goalie Martin Brodeur only let one goal go by in his best game of the 2001 Finals. The Devils were now one win away from their third Cup in team history.
GAME
6 at East Rutherford, New Jersey
-The
Avalanche forced a historic Game 7 with their 4-0 shutout over the Devils in
Game 6
It was June 7, 2001 and was supposed to be the night the Devils clinched the Stanley Cup Championship, but the Colorado Avalanche had a different idea. The Devils seemed to have lost everything they had in Games 4 and 5 and played like little boys. They were supposed to win the Stanley Cup on this night but they did not and the Avalanche tied the series 3-3 with a 4-0 shutout in New Jersey at the Continental Airlines Arena. Patrick Roy played outstanding and made the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals between the two number one seeded teams come down to a deciding Game 7 in Denver. Colorado dominated the game and scored one goal after another and embarrassed the Devils in front of their fans. Once the final buzzer went off at the end of the third period, the Devils knew they were forced to do something they never thought they would have to do, go back to Colorado and play in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils had then put themselves in a huge hole because they knew they would have to play the game of their lives now to defeat the excited and thrilled Colorado Avalanche on their home ice.
-Patrick
Roy played outstanding and got his 2nd shutout of the Finals
GAME
7 at Denver, Colorado
-The
Avalanche are the 2001 Stanley Cup Champions
Saturday, June 9, 2001-It was Game 7 of what had turned into a best-of-one series for the Stanley Cup between the New Jersey Devils and the Colorado Avalanche, the winner of this game would win the Stanley Cup. In Colorado that night the Devils had no chance. The Avalanche played a better game and the team that plays better wins, in this case it was the team that plays better wins the NHL Championship. The Devils gave up three unanswered goals as the Avalanche went onto become champions at around 11:00 pm Eastern Time that night. By the mid-point of the second period the Devils had trailed 3-0 in the 107th game of their season and the most important one. A best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final required Game 7 for only the eleventh time, and the Colorado Avalanche became the eleventh winner of the historic game. They went on to win 3-1 and won the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history. Goaltender Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP during the Stanley Cup Finals.
-Here
you can see Alex Tanguay score the 2001 cup-clinching goal
CUP WINNERS SINCE 1990
1990-The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins
1991-The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Minnesota North Stars
1992-The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks
1993-The Montreal Canadians defeated the L.A. Kings 4-1
1994-The New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-3
1995-The New Jersey Devils defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-0
1996-The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers 4-0
1997-The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0
1998-The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 4-0
1999-The Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-2
2000-The New Jersey Devils defeated the Dallas Stars 4-2
2001-The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3
