Avalanche win battle of attrition to reach Stanley Cup final
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
The Colorado Avalanche didn’t need to be fully healthy to sweep the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference final. They just needed to hold up better than their opponent. The Avalanche over four games lost key center Nazem Kadri and starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper to injuries. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and others were in worse shape. With at least a week off before the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers or Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado has time for Kuemper and others to heal up.
