WHICH WAY WILL THEY GO IN GAME 6? AFTER SHOOTOUT EARLY IN SERIES, GOALS NOW SCARCE FOR KINGS, AVS.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - It's been a schizophrenic first-round playoff series so far for the Kings and the Colorado Avalanche, two teams that can't seem to decide whether they want to play with reckless abandon on offense or be defensively responsible.

The teams totaled 15 goals in Games 1 and 2 in Denver, then combined for just six goals in the past three games. As the Kings try to even the best-of-seven series today in Game 6 at Staples Center, they must hope the defense-first trend continues.

It's hard to say whether the decrease in scoring has been a result of improved defense, and the teams played tighter in order to minimize mistakes as the games become more important, or whether they simply are tired after the frenetic first two games.

``It's been a hard-working series and I think maybe both teams realize that we should be playing (a style) more like playoff hockey,'' Kings goaltender Felix Potvin said. ``I didn't feel like I played badly in the first two, but sometimes you don't get breaks and you just try to bear down.''

The emphasis on defense increases the pressure on Potvin and his counterpart, Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy. In the first two games, the goalies could shake off a mistake with more ease, knowing their teammates could get a goal right back.

But with the past two games being decided by one goal, the margin for error has disappeared and any mistake can be devastating. On the other hand, the forwards feel pressure to put the puck in the net on every scoring chance, because the opportunities have become scarce.

``I think the scoring chances were down both ways (in Game 5),'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``We had 16 or 17 scoring chances total, and that's a pretty low total. Probably the way the first two games went was the unexpected part.

``You're talking about two teams that were two of the top five or six teams in the league defensively, and the history of our games last year indicated that's how the games would be played.''

The Kings twice beat the Avalanche 1-0 in the second round of last season's playoffs, once in overtime, so both the pace and the pressure of these tightly played, low-scoring games seems familiar to the Kings, which they saw as an advantage in Game 5.

Colorado had more shots and scoring chances, but the Kings played a mostly smart defensive game and felt comfortable going into overtime.

``In their minds, they must have been thinking, 'Here we go again,' '' Kings forward Bryan Smolinski said. ``You could see it in their eyes.''

The pressure remains primarily with the Kings because their season would end with a loss; even if the Avalanche loses, it will play host to Game 7 on Monday in Denver. But the Kings might have planted the seed of self-doubt in the Avalanche's psyche.

``It's hard to say,'' Smolinski said. ``With what's happened to them already, they're still up 3-2 and they're in the driver's seat still. But in the back of their minds they have to be thinking about us coming back on them.

``We took about three minutes (to celebrate Game 5), then we got iced up and got on the plane and started getting ready for Game 6, because time is closing in on us.''

But there might also have been some signs of concern from the Avalanche in Game 5. For the first time, coach Bob Hartley used his two top forwards, Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic, on the same line late in the third period.

Hartley also could turn to injured forward Milan Hejduk (abdominal strain) to help give the Colorado offense a boost against a suddenly hot Potvin, who has allowed the Avalanche just two goals in the past three games.

``I just think it's really easy to stay focused,'' Potvin said. ``There's a lot of pressure and that's something I've had throughout my career. I just want to be one goal better than the other guy.''

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS