Colorado Humbles Panthers Even Former Chief Klemm Joins Scoring Barrage, With Two Goals

The Avalanche? Right now, they’re more like a landslide.

Peter Forsberg’s record-tying first period hat trick started an Avalanche of scoring, and Colorado’s run-and-gun offense overwhelmed the defenseless Florida Panthers 8-1 Thursday night to surge into a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

Forsberg scored on three of his first four shots against Panthers playoff hero John Vanbiesbrouck, who heard derisive chants of “Beezer, Beezer, Beezer” before being yanked with Colorado ahead 4-1 after one period.

“Our top guys were top, top guys,” Colorado coach Marc Crawford said of Forsberg and Joe Sakic, who had four assists. “Joe was magical with his passing, and Peter was very on.”

Rene Corbet and former Spokane Chief Jon Klemm, who had one playoff goal between them, both scored twice as the Avalanche - still the Quebec Nordiques a year ago - put the Panthers in a precarious predicament entering Game 3 Saturday in Miami. And not only because the Avs have outscored them 11-2 so far.

Of the 37 other teams to trail 2-0 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals, three won the series: Toronto in 1942 and Montreal in 1966 and 1971.

Florida, you have a problem.

“If we can’t play better than this, we’re going to be watching somebody else carry the cup around,” the Panthers’ Brian Skrudland said. “What really hurts is we keep saying, ‘It’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.’ But jeepers creepers, 8-1?”

By the end, the Avs’ fans were chanting “Stanley Cup, Stanley Cup, Stanley Cup” as Colorado tries to join the 1937 Washington Redskins as the only major sports team to win a title in its first season following relocation.

The Avs went 3 for 3 on the power play in the first period after going 0 for 8 in Game 1.

Vanbiesbrouck had yielded more than three goals once previously in 19 playoff games this season. He was replaced for the final two periods by Mark Fitzpatrick, who gave up second-period goals by Corbet, Valeri Kamensky and Klemm.

Klemm, who is used mostly as a penalty-killer, didn’t play in the first round against Vancouver.

“I think the last time I scored two goals was in juniors, and the second was an empty-netter,” Klemm said.

Corbet’s two goals were one more than he had scored in 19 playoff games.

“When guys like Corbet and Klemm score two goals, you know things are going good for you,” Crawford said.

Avalanche 8, Panthers 1

Florida 1 0 0 - 1

Colorado 4 3 1 - 8

First Period-1, Colorado, Forsberg 8, 4:11. 2, Florida, Barnes 6 (Lowry, Jovanovski), 7:52 (pp). 3, Colorado, Corbet 2 (Young, Sakic), 10:43 (pp). 4, Colorado, Forsberg 9 (Sakic, Ozolinsh), 13:46 (pp). 5, Colorado, Forsberg 10 (Sakic, Deadmarsh), 15:05 (pp). Penalties-Deadmarsh, Col (roughing), 5:53; Lindsay, Fla (slashing), 8:55; Carkner, Fla (roughing), 12:51; Vanbiesbrouck, Fla, served by Mellanby (interference), 14:50.

Second Period-6, Colorado, Corbet 3, 4:37. 7, Colorado, Kamensky 10 (Gusarov, Deadmarsh), 5:08. 8, Colorado, Klemm 1 (Corbet, Krupp), 10:03. Penalties-Lefebvre, Col (holding), 6:20; Rychel, Col (roughing), 17:01.

Third Period-9, Colorado, Klemm 2 (Sakic), 17:28 (pp). Penalties-Kamensky, Col, double minor (high-sticking), 3:11; Jovanovski, Fla (roughing), 7:28; Kamensky, Col (roughing), 7:28; Leschyshyn, Col (charging), 7:28; Jovanovski, Fla, major (fighting), 9:39; Rychel, Col, minor-major-game misconduct (instigator, fighting), 9:39; Laus, Fla (interference), 11:42; Mellanby, Fla (roughing), 16:09.

Shots on goal-Florida 8-15-5-28. Colorado 11-12-7-30.Power-play Opportunities-Florida 1 of 7; Colorado 4 of 5.Goalies-Florida, Vanbiesbrouck 12-8 (11 shots-7 saves), Fitzpatrick (0:00 second, 19-15). Colorado, Roy 14-6 (28-27).A-16,061 (16,061).