Avs turned it up a notch in this one, and played with desperation from start to finish, so the Flames will have to answer in the next if they want to take the series. I actually think that home ice will not be much of an advantage for Colorado, because the altitude may limit how many minutes their top forward line can actually play.
I think the loss may be a blessing in disguise, a lesson learned early against a weaker opponent about what it takes to win in the playoffs. I still think that the Flames are a much superior team to the Avs, and will show their superiority over a 7 game series.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of the Flames' first round series against the Canucks in 1989. The team does not have a lot of playoff experience, and it probably needs to be pushed and experience some adversity to become the team it can be.
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