The swift-skating Colorado Avalanche dethroned the New Jersey Devils as NHL champions last night with an exciting 3-1 victory in the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup finals.
Alex Tanguay scored a pair of goals, captain Joe Sakic broke loose from his New Jersey shadow for a goal and an assist, and Patrick Roy turned in another sensational performance to further cement his reputation as the best big-game goaltender in NHL history.
The Avalanche, who won their maiden Stanley Cup in 1996 -- their first year in Colorado -- are the first team since the 1971 Montreal Canadiens to win the Cup after being down 3-2 in the finals.