First Intermission

Once again, the Stars do some good things to open the game and generate the scoring chances. But for the third consecutive game, they can’t draw first blood as Pavel Datsyuk makes an appearance in the goal column for the first time in this series with a backhand off the pipe and in.

Just like in Game 2, though, the Stars respond as Nik Grossman is the beneficiary of a terrific backhand pass out of the corner from Mike Modano.

Problem is, it took Detroit all of 36 seconds to get the goal back as Tomas Holmstrom somehow drew Trevor Daley off his coverage of Datsyuk, fed the crafty Russian the puck, who scored his second of the period, also on the backhand.

Dallas will have a chance to get it evened up on a power play to start the second as Kirk Maltby was whistled off at the end of the frame on an interference call.

For the second consecutive game, the Red Wings will be without the services of The Mule while Dallas is still missing Stu Barnes and Jere Lehtinen.

Second Intermission

For the second time, the Stars respond and tie it up.

For the second time, Trevor Daley is part of a gigantic screw up, this time, in form of a blown line change that leaves Jiri Hudler enough time to catch the puck at the Stars blue line, pick it up, autograph it, then race in on Marty Turco who can’t stop yet another backhand shot to give the Red Wings their third lead of the game.

Final: Well, apparently my last entry got deleted.

Anyway, you all know Detroit decided to just put this one away with an early shorty and the capper to a Datsyuk hat trick later on in the third.

5-2 win and a 3-0 series lead.

And the way these two teams are just playing on different levels, I’d be hard pressed to give you one good reason not to expect Detroit to finish off the sweep Wednesday night.

Just fines for them.

And for Steve Ott for some reason.

Anyway, I think the right call was made by the league and it’s time to put all this behind us and focus on Game 3.

Well, Dallas certainly played much better in this one with plenty of spunk early on that resulted in some quality scoring chances. Problem was, they couldn’t score an any of their chances.

And then Darren Helm took advantage of a little over pursuit on the part of Marty Turco to score over the glove hand and off the post to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. Dallas was able to get the goal back on their first power play of the game to end a five game first period scoreless streak. But the Wings got that goal back on their first power play of the game with a Henrik Zetterberg goal from the point.

And from that point on, the Red Wings played defensive hockey the rest of the way. Despite being the beneficiaries of four second period power plays, the Stars couldn’t get the equalizer and in the third, Detroit’s defense was practically a hermetic seal, foiling just about every offensive attack by the Stars.

Which ought to indicate just how important it will be for Dallas to play with a lead if they have designs on getting back into this thing.

Of course, that’s not what everyone will be talking about in this one.

In the waning moments, Mike Ribeiro skated in near Chris Osgood’s net to presumably deliver a message-sending hit on Nik Lidstrom. Osgood decided he’d hold Ribs up with the butt-end of his stick.

Naturally, Ribeiro didn’t take too kindly to this act and decided to give the Red Wings netminder a whack on the chest. Now to be sure, I don’t condone what Ribs did in using his stick as a weapon. I realize the shot Osgood took was in a heavily padded area of his body. But it was too close to the neck or head for my comfort and I’d prefer in the future that Ribs find some other way to channel his anger.

Anyway, Ribs hits Osgood in one of the most heavily padded and protected areas of the body. What followed was an embarrassment to Osgood and to the sport as he fell to the ice and writhed in “pain” like he’d been shot.

Later, Osgood commented on the play.

“Even if I did butt-end him, it was an accident,” Osgood said. “I was trying to protect our best player, Nick Lidstrom, so he didn’t get run.”

No, Chris. Accidents occur when your stick accidentally comes up and clips another player.

This wasn’t really an accident as you flat out admitted you used your stick to try and hold Ribeiro up. Now did you intentionally butt end Ribeiro?

That’s for you to decide, I suppose.

Anyway, the incident happened, nobody is none the worse for wear, and while there are some Stars fans wary of a suspension and plenty of Red Wing fans calling for one, I don’t think one is warranted.

Now as for the Stars chances of climbing back into this one, I’d have to peg them at about 25%. There’s still a chance they could come back to Dallas, win Games 3 and 4, and bring the series back to Detroit all tied.

But I felt coming into this series that they’d REALLY need a split in the first two games to realistically have a shot at pulling off the upset. Now they’re backed into a corner where they’ll have to win 4 of the next 5 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Not to mention, the offense has really dried up as Dallas has scored a grand total of nine goals in their last seven playoff games. And one of those games was a quadruple OT affair.

Point is, the Stars have to find a way to not only generate more chances, but they also have to start burying them. Because you’re not going to hold Detroit to two goals in a game very often.

A list of injuries the Stars previous opponent contended with during the playoffs.

And like Jerry says, there’s two schools of thought on this.

Well, three, if you count ’somewhere in the middle’.

* Kyle McLaren: — Groin and unspecified knee problem. No surprise; he was noticeably ineffective in the regular season after trying to come back from knee surgery in January.

* Christian Ehrhoff: High ankle sprain. Played fairly well in the post-season, or at the least wasn’t any more bumbling with the puck than anyone else behind the blueline.

* Brian Campbell: MCL sprain incurred against Calgary; MRI scheduled for next week on his right knee and shoulder. So was that why he was dreadful?

* Craig Rivet: Assorted injuries (wrist, knee and elbow). Still played okay.

* Milan Michalek: Shoulder (still can’t find any details as to nature or severity of injury). One can only wonder if the overtime in Game Six against Dallas would have been different had he not been unable to play. Ah well.

* Patrick Marleau: Scheduled to have an MRI on his shoulder. Nevertheless, played like a leader.

* Jonathan Cheechoo: Sprained MCL. Didn’t score much, but played hard.

* Devin Setoguchi: Left shoulder surgery and sports hernia surgery. Good thing he’s young so he’ll heal faster. Wonder when he’ll be back.

* Mike Grier: Arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Which may explain why he was invisible most of the time during the post-season.

* Joe Thornton: The story says “MRI on his leg due to a hit in Game 6.” I’m assuming this was the Dallas series (the Sharks have got to hire some better writers for their Web site). So what was the excuse before then?

* Patrick Rissmiller: Sports hernia requiring surgery. Reference earlier “good thing he’s young” comment.

* Curtis Brown: MRI scheduled on his left hand. Which could explain why he didn’t see more ice time.

I guess the adage, ‘If you can lace ‘em up, you have no excuses’ applies to some degree. Then again, there are quite a few injuries here that I can say with near 100% certainty would have kept those afflicted by these injuries out of the lineup had this been the regular season.

Oh, and for Mr. Setoguchi and Mr. Rissmiller, Sergei Zubov knows the name of a good surgeon in Germany.

Not much really to analyze here as Detroit beat the Stars in just about every facet of the game last night. Though I have a few observations:

* It’s painfully clear that the challenge the Stars faced from the power play units of the Ducks and Sharks pales in comparison to the challenge of facing the two units the Red Wings throw out on the ice. I’d say the front line talent of Anaheim, San Jose, and Detroit is fairly comparable, though I’d still give Detroit’s front three the nod over the other two.

What the Ducks and Sharks don’t have is point men of the caliber that Detroit has in Brian Rafalski and Niklas Lidstrom. And last night, the Wings power play leaned quite heavily on them in scoring three power play goals.

* Dallas was lucky to only be down 2-0 after the first. They’d been outshot, outchanced, outscored, and certainly outskated.

Which is why I think Nik Hagman’s breakaway that was turned away by Chris Osgood may have been the play of the game. Razor worked many a Red Wings game this year on Versus, and he indicated that if Detroit has a glaring weakness, it’s that they tend to get frustrated a little too easy at times.

Hagman scores there, and suddenly it’s a one shot game.

Instead, he gets denied, Detroit adds two more and the game is over.

* I missed the first period, so I can’t speak to the call on Mark Fistric that put the Stars on a 5-on-3 early in the game.

I did see Holmstrom basically back his way into Marty Turco’s crease and score to put Detroit up 3-0. Somehow, Holmstrom got away with this clear as day violation.

Now I won’t go so far as to suggest that the Stars will have no shot in this series if Holmstrom is allowed to do this. But I would like to see the league actually…I don’t know….enforce this rule?

Because what’s the alternative if you’re Marty Turco or the Stars? Slash him or give him the same treatment Ed Belfour gave in the 1998 Western Conference Finals to Marty LaPointe?
Well, then you’ve just exacerbated the problem by putting Detroit on a 5-on-3.

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Brett Hull or Les Jackson have already put a call in to Stephen Walkom’s office to discuss this.

Well, and Internet slowdown of sorts prevented me from watching the first two periods.

Apparently, my phone company did me a favor as the Stars were totally outclassed in the first 40 minutes in about every aspect of the game. The result is a 4-1 lead for the Red Wings.

Reading some of the Stars message boards at Andrew’s DSP and on the Dallasnews.com blog, there appears to be many detractors to the work of Bill McCreary tonight. Obviously, I can’t speak to the calls in question. But I can say that occasionally, you have to fight through things like that. Especially when you’re on the road.

Obviously, the Stars weren’t able to do that tonight.

For now, just focus on winning this period, and re-rack for Game 2 on Saturday night. For if you get Game 2, you bring the series home with it tied 1-1.

Thanks to Buck Harvey for providing the rationale with this column titled:

Buck Harvey: Spurs’ one reassurance – the anti-Mavs

He goes on…

But these Texas teams aren’t the same, though they’ve been lumped together as both have taken turns against New Orleans. Both, for example, were supposed to have experience on their side against the young Hornets.

But did Dallas really have that? The Mavericks are only experienced in playoff chokes.

Yes, clearly the Spurs are something the Mavs have never been. To quote a fat, gray haired sports anchor here in Dallas that the station’s weatherman likes to take shots at, ‘we already know that.’

But that argument makes about as much sense as a Mavs fan gaining some measure of confidence when they fell down 3-1 to the Hornets by alluding to the Rockets’ lack of post-season series wins this decade.

Per TSN.

Sources tell TSN Fabian Brunnstrom will make his NHL debut next season with the Dallas Stars.

The 23 year old Swedish forward officially made his decision on Thursday with Dallas edging out Montreal, Detroit and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last week Brunnstrom toured Dallas and spent time with Ken Holland and the Detroit Red Wings before making his way to Montreal where Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey courted the highly sought after free agent.

Sources say the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks also pitched hard in the last 10 days.

The Toronto Maple Leafs campaign for Brunnstrom was based on opportunity and the expectation he would be given a chance to be an impact player in Toronto next season.

Brunnstrom chose Dallas based on his belief there a combination of both roster depth and opportunity will exist when he arrives on the scene for training camp.

Brunnstrom will have a two-year entry-level deal signed within the 24 hours and will be paid in a similar fashion to a top 5 draft pick, which could translate into a cap hit of over 2 million dollars per season.

Part of the impetus for the deal is that Dallas does not have a first round pick this year, it was traded to the Los Angeles Kings last year as part of the Mattias Norstrom deal.

…I ran across this nugget from A2Y.

Anybody remember Chuck Carlton? He was, I believe, the beat writer who preceded DD Captain Khan(!) at MLive. He’s a Dallas guy now, has been for years.

[…]

Anyone else remember the other Wing beat writer to defect to Dallas? Yep. Keith Gave. Remember him? He’s your boy isn’t he? Popular fella. I’m sure you remember his role in the Yzerman-to-Ottawa rumors back in ‘93.

(emphasis mine)

Yeah, I remember him. I should probably be careful about what I write about that blowhard. The last time I disparaged his work, he sent me a tersely worded email about how much pride he takes in his job. Such as keeping off-the-record conversations secret.

Unless it pertains to Ken Holland admitting off the record after Dallas signed Brett Hull in the summer of 1998 that they would have really been worried if the Stars had chosen to eat the final $12 million and three years of Ed Belfour’s deal and pursued Curtis Joseph instead.

Last I checked, Keith was writing for some paper in northern Michigan (may or may not be YOOPER land) tantamount to the Denton County Record, Grapevine Sun, or Keller Citizen.

Western Conference Finals - (5) Dallas Stars vs. (1) Detroit Red Wings

vs.

Schedule and Television Coverage

Game 1, Thursday, May 9 at Detroit, 6:30 pm (VS, TSN)
Game 2, Saturday, May 11 at Detroit, 6:00 pm (VS, CBC)
Game 3, Monday, May 13 at Dallas, 7:00 pm (VS, TSN)
Game 4, Wednesday, May 15 at Dallas, 7:00 pm (VS, VS, TSN)
*-Game 5, Friday, May 17 at Detroit, 12:30 pm (NBC, CBC)
*-Game 6, Sunday, May 19 at Dallas, 7:00 (VS, VS, CBC)
*-Game 7, Tuesday, May 21 at Detroit, 6:30 (VS, CBC)

Red Wings Blogs and Sites

Abel to Yzerman | Let’s Go Wings | On the Wings | Detroit Red Wings Official Site | Winging it in Motown

Even Strength Stars offense vs. Red Wings defense

In the first round, the Stars got some nice offensive contributions up and down the lineup. Not only were the big guns in Brad Richards, Mike Modano, Brenden Morrow, and Mike Ribeiro contributing, so to were the Loui Eriksson, Stu Barnes, and Stephane Robidas’ of the lineup.

Well, that scoring depth dried up a little bit in the second round as Barnes was knocked out of Game 3 on a clean but hard hit from Jonathan Cheechoo and has been out of the lineup since. And since Game 4 of the Sharks series, Dallas’ goal scorers consisted of Jere Lehtinen, Brenden Morrow, and Antti Miettenen. In Game 2 against San Jose, Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards, and Mike Modano each scored.

They haven’t scored a goal since.

Shipping Mathieu Schneider out and brining in Brian Rafalski during the offseason was a huge upgrade for Detroit. A defensive liability was removed in favor of a solid defensemen who was bred in a defense-first system in New Jersey.

Niklas Kronwall has also grown into his role quite well, the Wings also picked up a former first round pick of the Sharks in Brad Stuart, they still have Chris Chelios (thanks to Bill Wirtz).

And oh yeah, they have some Swede on the blue line by the name of Nicklas Lidstrom. I hear he’s really good, having won three consecutive Norris Trophies earlier this decade.

Edge to the Red Wings for right now. Unless Dallas’ scoring depth can make a much needed reappearance to tip the scales.

Even Strength Stars defense vs. Red Wings offense

Getting Sergei Zubov back at full strength for this series helps. Possibly getting Philippe Boucher back into the mix will help even more. And the contributions for the rookie trio of Mark Fistric, Matt Niskanen, and Nik Grossman in these playoffs has been well documented.

But it’s not enough to warrant me giving any kind of an edge to Dallas here. In fact, not even a tie at this point.

Not when the other team has Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. As James O’Brien notes, that killer combo may be the most lethal scoring duo in the NHL, save for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. Or when a relative mucker like Johan Franzen is leading the league in playoff goal scoring with 12.

Overwhelming edge to Detroit

Stars powerplay (2nd Ranked PPE at 5:53) vs. Red Wings penalty kill (2nd Ranked at 12:07)

This might be the biggest storyline coming into this series. Dallas actually cooled off a little during the San Jose series. Though that’s doing a bit of a disservice to this unit that was absolutely on fire during the Anaheim series.

Still, all five of Dallas’ power play goals in the second round either tied the contest or allowed the Stars to push ahead of the Sharks. They’ll need that timely scoring to continue from this unit if they have any chance of upsetting the Red Wings.

Getting Zubov back and completely up to speed certainly helps. But I think whether this becomes a factor in swinging the series the Stars way depends on the return of the scoring depth to the Stars forward lines. If Ribeiro and Richards start contributing, again, then Dallas might have a significant advantage in this department.

Edge still goes to Dallas.

Stars penalty kill (3rd Ranked PKE at 11:50) vs. Red Wings power play (Top Ranked PPE at 4:07)

Not to say the Stars’ penalty killers are slouches, but the Red Wings boast so much front talent that is balanced throughout their two units, it’s ridiculous.

There’s Lidstrom on the point, Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the wings, and Tomas Holmstrom acting like a modern day Dino Ciccarelli by being a crease lizard.

Clear edge to the Red Wings.

Goaltending

I don’t want to discount whoever gets the nod in goal for Detroit. Afterall, Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek each won a ring in previous stints with the winged wheels, so they know what it takes to get the job done when a Cup is on the line. Not to mention, Osgood has the lowest GAA of any playoff goaltender, sporting a 1.52 GAA.

But neither has accomplished what Marty Turco has accomplished in his 19 previous playoff games. After posting three shutouts last spring, Turco’s followed it up with a 1.73 GAA and a pair of series wins with the last one coming early Monday morning after Turco outlasted Evgeni Nabakov in quadruple OT.

Edge to Turco for now. Subject to change if he reverts back to the Marty that “can’t win at The Joe in the NHL.”

Prediction

Everything points to the Red Wings winning this one in six games. Detroit’s offense has simply looked unstoppable at times in these playoffs and Marty Turco’s troubles in Detroit have been well chronicled.

That having been said, the Stars are playing with house money right now in part because of their own success this last month and because there’s tremendous pressure on the Red Wings because of playoff failures in the last four playoff seasons:

2003 - lost to Anaheim, 4-0, in first round as second seed.
2004 - lost to Calgary, 4-2, in second round as top seed.
2006 - lost to Edmonton, 4-2, in first round as top seed.
2007 - lost to Anaheim, 4-2, in Western Conference Finals as top seed.

I think for Dallas to have a chance, it’s all got to start with Marty in nets. If he comes out in this series and plays the same way he’s played at The Joe throughout his Stars career (0-7-2, as compared to an 18-5 mark at Michigan), then this series will probably be over before we know it. Detroit just simply has too much firepower for the Stars to be able to overcome a potential Turco struggle.

But if Turco can continue his unbelievable play in goal and the Stars power play continues to score timely goals, Dallas will certainly have a shot to send Wings fans home lamenting yet another playoff loss to a lower seeded team.