Raising the Cup presents: Game 7 2001 Stanley Cup Final

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Although the New Jersey Devils were attempting to defend their Stanley Cup championship as they faced off against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Final, there was a more intriguing storyline to be followed on that night of June 9 in Denver. Colorado's future Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque was seeking his first Stanley Cup championship in his 23rd and final season in the NHL.

There were plenty of historic facts to be found in the seven-game series between the Avs and Devils as 2001 marked the first time in NHL history that two teams met in a city which was the former home of one team and the current location of the other. The Devils were known as the Colorado Rockies before leaving for New Jersey following the 1981-82 season, while the Avalanche had relocated to Denver after previously being known as the Quebec Nordiques until the 1995-96 season. Additionally, the 2001 Cup Final was the first and only time since 1989 where the top seeds from both conferences played each other.

The Avs came out looking like a determined team as Alex Tanguay got them on the board early with a nifty wraparound goal to give Colorado a 1-0 lead in the first period. Tanguay would tally again in the second by burying a rebound off a Joe Sakic breakaway attempt to put his team up 2-0. Sakic, the Avalanche captain, would put the game out of reach with a power-play goal later in the second period. While Devils' forward Petr Sykora gave his team a fighting chance with a goal scored off the faceoff later in the second, the Avs' defense led by Bourque, coupled with the strong play of Conn Smythe winner and future Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy, would not allow another goal the rest of the game as Colorado won 3-1 to capture its second Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Avs were also Stanley Cup champions in 1996, their first season in Denver.