Sakic wants Avalanche to stay resilient

The Denver Post relays Joe Sakic's excitement Wednesday as he and his Avalanche get set for the opening of their playoff series against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Sakic knows the road that lies ahead for his team in the playoffs.

"It's a grind. The team that outlasts the rest of them is going to win. I know this is a group that wants more. We're all shooting for the Stanley Cup," Sakic said. "Every single team is hoping they're playing for two months. But you're going to have adverse times in the playoffs. The biggest thing is to stick to your game, stick to what you know and stay resilient. No matter if it's a great win or a terrible game, you've got to wake up the next morning and know there's a new game, probably one that's more important than the previous game.

"The guys last year, I knew what they were going through. I was on some teams where we had a tough time. But we were rebuilding and going in the right direction. Patrick instilled that same confidence in the players and we got off to a good start this year, which was our goal. This is a team that doesn't quit, that had some obstacles, some injuries, but it didn't stop them. Now we have some confidence, and confidence is important for a young team."

Source: Adrian Dater, Denver Post