"Paul Stastny's phone rings most every non-gameday afternoon, his father calling to converse about family, European politics and mostly about hockey, all in Slovak.

On Saturday, the talk undoubtedly was of the Avalanche's situation heading into tonight's Game 3 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series against San Jose at the Pepsi Center. It's a series the Avs thought they had control of, but are tied 1-1 after an amazing back-and-forth Sharks' 6-5 overtime victory late Friday night.

His parents' native tongue is one of the three languages Paul speaks, and whether told in French, Slovak or English, the Stastny story is one that seems part John le Carre thriller and part Disney-style sports saga."