Hasek-Roy a Dream Battle

In hockey, it doesn’t get any better than this.

A Game 7 to determine which is better, Detroit or Colorado, the NHL’s top two teams during the regular season.

A Game 7 to determine who is the best clutch goaltender in the world in a showdown between the Red Wings’ Dominik Hasek and the Avalanche’s Patrick Roy.

“Both goalies are [dominating]. We’ve got 15 [goals] and they’ve got 13 after six games,� said Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman, whose Red Wings will play host to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals tonight at Joe Louis Arena.

“You got to be lucky or really in a zone to beat them.�

The last time Hasek and Roy faced each other in a game of such winner-take-all magnitude was in the semifinals of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. After playing to a 1-1 tie for 70 minutes, Hasek led Czech Republic to a shootout victory over Canada. Hasek stopped all five Canada shooters (Theo Fleury, Ray Bourque, Joe Nieuwendyk, Eric Lindros and current Red Wing teammate Brendan Shanahan).

“Maybe when it’s all over, you can think about [how big a game it is],� Hasek said about going up against Roy. “Right now, all I’m focused about is to win the next game. Of course, I face one of the best goalies in the history of the playoffs, and it’s great, I enjoy it, but my goal is to do anything I can to help win the series.�

Roy was not on top of his game Wednesday, and Hasek showed why Detroit was so eager to sign him as a free agent last summer with a dominating performance in a 2-0 Game 6 victory by the Red Wings at Colorado’s Pepsi Center.

It was Hasek’s fourth shutout of the playoffs, tying him with Clint Benedict and 13 others for the NHL record in one season. It was Hasek’s 10th career playoff shutout.

He made several great saves in the first period, including an impressive stop on Colorado’s Chris Drury and then, after Detroit opened up a 2-0 lead in the second period, he robbed Drury and Milan Hejduk while the Avalanche still had time to get back in the game.

“It’s huge pressure but nothing has changed for me. It’s going to be exactly the same [tonight],� said Hasek, who has never played on a Stanley Cup championship team. “Playing with this pressure is tough, but it’s what makes you feel so good after you win a game like [Game 6].�

Hasek bounced back with a strong performance Wednesday after being outplayed by Roy in Games 4 and 5, both Colorado victories. Roy may have looked a little shaky in the first two games of the series, but he’s regained his form over the last four games.

“I’m not really [surprised],� Bowman said about the series reaching seven games. “We had tight games with Colorado. They beat us three times, and they have great teams. They won the Cup in ‘96, and the other times they’ve always been strong. They have been strong in the net since they got Patrick, and he’s been a huge factor in most games.�

With so many future Hall of Famers on both rosters, the series has been a dream matchup for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Visiting teams have won four of the six games and only two have been decided by more than one goal.

“Like we said before the start of this round, it’s simply unbelievable the amount of skills, the quality of the leadership on both teams,� Colorado Coach Bob Hartley said. “That’s why this [series] is even.�

Not only has the play lived up to expectations, there’s also been some added drama involving grandstanding and accusations of an illegal stick.

Roy, who has a reputation for stick-handling mistakes in big games, had only himself to blame for giving up a bad opening goal on Wednesday. After making a brilliant save on Steve Yzerman, Roy was so busy trying to taunt the Red Wings that he dropped the puck. Brendan Shanahan jumped on it and scored Detroit’s first opening goal of the series.

“I thought I had the puck,� said Roy, who is looking to become the NHL’s first goaltender to win three Game 7s in one playoff season. “I made a great save on Yzerman and I thought I had it in my glove. I was looking for the puck. I guess it just rolled under me and they put it in.�

Later in the game, Hasek was scrutinized when Hartley called for a measurement of the goaltender’s stick. It turned out that Hasek’s blade width was fine, falling below the maximum width of 3 1/2 inches. Because he was wrong, Hartley gave up his team’s man advantage.

“We had information that Hasek was playing with an illegal stick and we were down [2-0] with 1:20 on a power play,� Hartley said. “We thought the timing was right. Sometimes in games you try some things that work. And unfortunately for us, you know, that one didn’t, so that’s life.�