ADVANTAGE AVS AS FORSBERG RETURNS, COLORADO SHOWS GRIT VS. KINGS IN PLAYOFF OPENER COLORADO 4, KINGS 3.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

DENVER - In the days leading up to the NHL playoffs, the seventh-seeded Kings became a trendy pick among so-called hockey experts to upset the second-seeded Colorado Avalanche.

But those predictions might have underestimated the tenacity of the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Faced with losing the first game of a series in its own arena, Colorado got a lift from Peter Forsberg's return - and two assists - and finished it up when Greg de Vries scored with 5:36 remaining in the third period to give the Avalanche a 4-3 victory over the Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Thursday night at Pepsi Center.

The Kings had battled back from a 2-0 deficit midway through the second period and looked to be taking the action to the Avalanche with strong physical play all over the ice late in the third period, but Colorado needed only one brief flurry to win the game.

Eric Messier took the puck behind Kings goaltender Felix Potvin's net and tried a wraparound shot. Potvin made the stop but couldn't control the puck with heavy traffic in front of the net.

De Vries skated in from outside the play and knocked the rebound past Potvin, who had gone down to his knees to try to control the rebound.

The Kings know Game 1 success can be a mixed bag. A year ago, they lost the first game to Detroit and came back to win the series in six games, and in the next round they beat the Avalanche in the first game in Denver but lost the series in seven games.

Colorado hoped it wouldn't expect all its emotional energy before the end of the first period. The crowd stood and roared 1:23 into the game when Forsberg, who did not play a regular-season game because of injuries, skated onto the ice for his first shift since last season's Stanley Cup Finals.

Colorado's Stephane Yelle took a cross checking penalty 6:52 into the period, but the Kings couldn't do anything, Colorado broke through first.

A missed defensive assignment allowed the Avalanche a two-on-one break, and Chris Drury passed to Alex Tanguay in front of the Kings net. Potvin came out to cut down Tanguay's shot angle, and Kings defenseman Aaron Miller slid through, trying to block a shot, but instead knocked Potvin out of the play.

Tanguay pulled the puck back and slipped a backhand shot into the open net with nine seconds remaining.

The first seven minutes of the second period suggested that the Avalanche would roll over the Kings. Colorado took a 2-0 lead 4:22 into the period when Martin Skoula controlled the puck in the corner and fed a pass to Steven Reinprecht in front of the net.

Reinprecht was defended by Mattias Norstrom but managed to get a quick shot past Potvin. Forsberg also assisted on the goal.

A flurry in front of Potvin over the next minute caused Kings coach Andy Murray to call a timeout, and 7:32 into the period, Cliff Ronning was called for tripping. An irate Ronning tried to charge Colorado's Rob Blake after the whistle but was knocked down by Yelle.

The Kings drew inspiration from Ronning's outburst, as they killed the penalty easily and began the charge that got them back in the game. The skating seemed to get sharper, the shots harder and in greater number, and that increased intensity payed off midway through the period.

Ronning came out of the penalty box and almost immediately drew a tripping penalty by Joe Sakic. The Kings moved the puck around well, and with 9:18 left Ronning fed the puck across to net to Bryan Smolinski, who settled the puck on his stick for a second and beat Patrick Roy with a wrist shot. It was Smolinski's first non-empty-net goal since Jan. 5.

The Kings' continued their sustained pressure and tied the game with 5:40 remaining. Jason Allison drove behind the net and centered a pass to Ziggy Palffy, who cut inside Colorado's Mike Keane in front of the net and beat Roy with a backhand shot.

Colorado took early momentum on the power play in the first minute. Forsberg tipped the puck and prevented it from being cleared out of the Kings' zone, and Joe Sakic picked up and beat Potvin with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot 66 seconds into the period.

Palffy answered less than two minutes later with his second goal of the game. He intercepted an ill-advised pass by Blake, skated in alone and beat Roy with a wrist shot.

His two goals, however, couldn't stop the Kings from going winless in their last seven road games (0-6-1).

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kings' Jason Allison, left, collides with Colorado's Adam Foote while chasing down the puck in the second period.

Steve Dykes/Denver Post

(2) Avs' Rob Blake helps goalie Patrick Roy protect the net as the Kings' Craig Johnson moves in.

Steve Dykes/Denver Post

Box:

(1) SERIES GLANCE

(2) GAME RECAP