I am not a Colorado Avalanche fan, but I loved their teams in the early 2000s. (Photo via Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

The opening game of this series was tied 2-2 after two periods. With just over a minute left in the third, Milan Hejduk gave the top-seeded ’00-’01 Avalanche a 3-2 lead. However, defenseman Derek Morris tied it for the 8th-seeded ’02-’03 Avalanche with just 17 seconds remaining in regulation and forced overtime. The ’02-’03 Avalanche garnered more of the scoring opportunities in OT, but it was Hejduk who won it for the top seed in the final minute of the second overtime. The ’00-’01 Avalanche didn’t need a double overtime winner to win Game 2 as they won easily, 4-1. Joe Sakic scored twice while goaltender Patrick Roy stopped 24 of 25 shots against. The ’02-’03 Avalanche got on the board in the series with a 5-2 win in Game 3 as defenseman Rob Blake‘s three points (1G, 2A) led them offensively. They then evened up the series with a 5-3 win in Game 4. Hejduk scored twice and added an assist for the ’02-’03 Avalanche.

In Game 5, a shorthanded goal from Adam Deadmarsh seven plus minutes into the second gave the ’00-’01 Avalanche a 2-1 lead. However, the ’02-’03 Avalanche would score three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead and they would hang on late for a 4-3 win to take a 3-2 series lead. The top seed would dominate their way to a 9-3 win in Game 6 to force a Game 7. Hejduk (4G), Sakic (2G, 2A) and defenseman Ray Bourque (4A) all posted four points in the win while Alex Tanguay posted three (3A). Game 7 was tied 1-1 after the first period, but the ’00-’01 Avalanche held a 3-1 lead by the halfway point of the second thanks to two goals from Sakic. The score was later 4-3 in favor of the top seed, but defenseman Greg de Vries potted a PP marker in the middle of the third to seal the series for the ’00-’01 Avalanche.

GAME 1:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’00-’01 COL – 4   ’02-’03 COL – 3   (2OT)   (1-0   ’00-’01 COL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Milan Hejduk (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   +2   7 S

2nd Star: G – Patrick Roy (’00-’01 COL) – W   3.00 GAA   .947 SV% (54 SV’s)

3rd Star: D – Ray Bourque (’00-’01 COL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   +2   7 S

GAME 2:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’00-’01 COL – 4   ’02-’03 COL – 1   (2-0   ’00-’01 COL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: C – Joe Sakic (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   +1   9 S

2nd Star: C – Peter Forsberg (’00-’01 COL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +2   1 S

3rd Star: D – Ray Bourque (’00-’01 COL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +1   4 S

GAME 3:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’02-’03 COL – 5   ’00-’01 COL – 2   (2-1   ’00-’01 COL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: D – Rob Blake (’02-’03 COL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   +3   6 S   2 PIM

2nd Star: RW – Milan Hejduk (’02-’03 COL) – 0 G   2 A   2 P   +1   4 S

3rd Star: C – Joe Sakic (’02-’03 COL) – 1 G   0 A   1 P   +2   8 S   2 PIM

GAME 4:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’02-’03 COL – 5   ’00-’01 COL – 3   (2-2)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Milan Hejduk (’02-’03 COL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   +3   7 S

2nd Star: LW – Alex Tanguay (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   +1   4 S

3rd Star: C – Peter Forsberg (’02-’03 COL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +3   4 S

GAME 5:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’02-’03 COL – 4   ’00-’01 COL – 3   (3-2   ’02-’03 COL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Milan Hejduk (’02-’03 COL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   Even   9 S

2nd Star: C – Joe Sakic (’02-’03 COL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   Even   5 S

3rd Star: C – Peter Forsberg (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   +1   3 S

GAME 6:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’00-’01 COL – 9   ’02-’03 COL – 3   (3-3)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Milan Hejduk (’00-’01 COL) – 4 G   0 A   4 P   +4   10 S

2nd Star: C – Joe Sakic (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   2 A   4 P   +4   12 S

3rd Star: D – Ray Bourque (’00-’01 COL) – 0 G   4 A   4 P   +4   8 S

GAME 7:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’00-’01 COL – 5   ’02-’03 COL – 3   (4-3   ’00-’01 COL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: C – Joe Sakic (’00-’01 COL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   Even   8 S

2nd Star: C – Peter Forsberg (’02-’03 COL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +2   4 S

3rd Star: D – Greg de Vries (’00-’01 COL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +2   4 S

Up next in the 4-5 matchup are the ’01-’02 Avs and the ’99-’00 Avs!