Time flies when you're out of town

Wednesday night I sat in a hotel lobby in downtown St. Louis watching the seconds tick off the clock as the Stars postponed a seemingly imminent elimination at the hands of the mighty Detroit Red Wings.  A 3-1 win, and a 3-1 series.

No matter.  The Red Army could now just finish things up at Joe Louis Arena where Marty Turco is 0-for-pro, having not won their since his college days.  As I boarded a plane heading back to LA Saturday afternoon, my friend counted down the seconds until time expired and the flight attendant ordered my cell phone turned off.

But the facts are the facts.  Dallas, having won two straight games, is heading back to the AAC for Game 6!  This is no longer a joke of a series.  While Detroit has been in control and - don't let this win fool you - they still are, Dallas has confidence.  Dallas has a home crowd.  Dallas has a realistic chance to force a Game 7 in Detroit.

Granted, the SJ Sharks weren't able to force a seventh game after their 0-3 series deficit to Dallas.  Then again, the Sharks weren't playing at home in Game 6 (in which Dallas still needed four overtimes).

I'm not saying the Stars will win this series.  I'm not even saying they'll necessarily win in Dallas in Game 6.  If you're a betting man, I'd probably keep your money away.  But if you're a hockey fan, you know where you'll be when the puck drops tonight at 7pm CDT.

LET'S GO STARS!


BELIEVE!

Hockey mattering is all that matters

The year is 2008. The last time a team came back from 0-3 in the NHL: 1975. Before that? 1942. My point: It's probably not in the Stars this season.

Will I be disappointed if the Red Wings sweep the Stars out of the Western Conference Finals? Yes, a little bit. I'd like them to at least get one win in this series. Then again, anyone would like to get one win against Detroit since Osgood replaced an aging Dominator in net after Game 4 of Detroit's opening round series.

But can I really be disappointed? Stars fans, can we really be disappointed when we zoom out and look at not just a potential sweep at the hands of the Red Army, but look at this series in the context of the playoffs? According to many hockey savants, the Stars shouldn't have gotten out of the first round.

Remember the feeling - just a few weeks ago - when they beat the Ducks at AAC, smiled down a row of handshakes and got ready for the first second-round series in five years. Remember that? It was great.

And to do the same thing against the Sharks, despite allowing SJ to climb back into the series, the Stars held their ground and claimed a marathon victory to advance to this Western Conference Finals for the first time since going to the Cup Finals in 2000. It's been great to not just watch (like Stars fans have done the past few years) but it's been great to truly experience playoff hockey once again in Big D.

And the Stars couldn't have picked a better time. The Mavericks just fired their coach after a second straight first-round disappointment. The Cowboys - despite their 13-3 record in '07 - fizzled against NYG in the divisional playoff round. As Wade Phillips said, the Cowboys made it to the "final eight." Well, the Stars can be proud of their "final four" finish - if that is where it ends, and in all likelyhood it will. More importantly, the city of Dallas once again is championing the Stars, much the way it did during the Belfour years.

I don't have any figures on this, but I'm sure the 2008-09 Stars season will see an increase of season ticket holders from this year. People around town are wearing green caps, hockey jerseys, thinking about sewing a "C" onto their suit (that last one might be just me, but there may be others).

The Stars - barring a historic comeback, the likes of which have been seen only twice in NHL history - will not win the Stanley Cup. They won't win the Western Conference. But perhaps more important than any trophy, the Stars won back Dallas.

It's a victory that's long been overdue, but it's one that is still oh so sweet.

Fracas at the finish! Game 2: Det 2, Dal 1

As the clock wound down on a gritty 2-1 Stars loss in Game 2, I was just getting ready to leave my seat at the bar (again, Versus Network?) when I saw the usually cool-character Mike Ribeiro attempt to chop down a tree.  He swung his stick hatchet-style across the chest of Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood, sending him to the ice.

WOW.  What set that off?

Turns out it was Osgood, who butt-ended his stick into Ribeiro's face as the Stars center skated past him.

Either way, the exchanged escalated into a post-game broohaha that will surely lead to high emotions and an extremely physical Game 3 in Dallas.  I would hope neither Ribeiro or Osgood is suspended because both play such key roles for their team that to not see one of these two taking the ice for Game 3 would cheat us out of what I'm expecting to become a great series.

That being said, Ribeiro probably over-reacted (granted, I've never taken the end of a hockey stick to my chin while harmlessly skating by), but Osgood really embraced his role of the victim.  There are no small roles, just small actors.  For wearing all that padding, Osgood seemed to put on a hell of a performance.

Osgood says it was an accident, but I don't know if I can believe that based on how he said it.

Ribeiro was assessed a match penalty, which brings with it a mandatory review by the league office and might result in a suspension.

“When he went by, Osgood put his stick in the face,” Tippett said. “Ribeiro was actually letting up. He’s not going to do that unless he’s provoked. Whether Osgood thought he was going to run or not...”

“Even if I did butt into him, it was an accident,” Osgood said. “I was more or less trying to protect our best player, making sure they didn’t get a clean run at him with two seconds left. If I did, it was an accident. But I don’t think that justified a two-hander over the top of the net. He could have went about it a different way or said something to me.”

Osgood says he was trying to protect his own guy. Well, if he was then the only protective effort he demonstrated was putting the end of his stick into Ribeiro's face. Maybe he wasn't trying to hit him in the face, but Osgood butting him with his stick was no accident.  (more thoughts on Ribeiro/Osgood from DMN Stars blog)

The post-game ordeal put an exclamation point on what wasn't as one-sided a game as it appeared. Watching the game, I felt the Stars were in it simply because they only trailed by one goal (unlike Game 1 where things got out of hand). But beyond the actual score, the Stars found themselves dominated in many facets of the game.

Detroit won 39 faceoffs, to the Stars' 16, good for 70% of the draws. Not only that, but the Red Wings continued to take the puck away from the Stars (8 to 2 in takeaways). The Wings were more physical, outhitting the Stars 39-26. But the biggie, shots on goal, proved to be the most disappointing. Dallas took 18 shots. 

Let's take a look at the shots on goal from Dallas' first two series.

Vs. ANA: 37, 30, 33, 20, 42, 26 (188 total, 31.3 shots per game)

Vs. SJ: 18, 26, 29, 18, 26, 55 (172 total, 28.7 shots per game);
(oh, and if we do the math to count 4OT Game 6 as two games when taking this average - it was longer than two games - then it works out to 24.6 shots per game)

Vs. DET: 21, 18 (19.5 shots per game thru 2 games)

Dallas isn't forcing Osgood to make enough saves (17 in Game 2). The more often the puck gets to the net, the more chances for a rebound, a goofy bounce, or for Osgood to simply miss one. The guys in front of Osgood did a great job limited Dallas' shots and blocking ones that did get off making things easier for their netminder.

The Stars did have chances to even things up in the final period, but simply couldn't convert.  So while I'm disappointed in the loss and the 0-2 series deficit, it could have been worse.  (By comparison, I'm not nearly as upset as I am over the subpar series finale of Scrubs on NBC.  That show better get picked up by ABC - as is rumored - to sort a few things out, or I will be less than thrilled.  Seriously, is that how things will end between JD and Elliot?  How did Kelso get back?  And why did Keith reappear after being gone for 5-6 episodes? "Frick!") (review of Scrubs finale)

So as this Western Conference Final (yes, back to hockey) heads south to Big D, the Stars find themselves in a 0-2 hole, the likes of which is unfamiliar to this team. They had not trailed in either previous series in these playoffs. Going back to 2001, when the Stars trail in a series by 2 games, they are 0-5. When Dallas was down 3-1 last year to Vancouver, they were able to force a Game 7 thanks to superb goaltending by Marty Turco. Perhaps some more great work between the pipes and a little bit of home cooking is what these Stars need.

Game 3, Monday, May 12 @ American Airlines Center
Puck drops at 7pm central time

Save me! Game 6: Stars win 2-1 (4OT)

I arrived at a sports bar - the only one in this area of North Orange County that actually got the Versus network - at 5:45pm Pacific time to watch Game 6 between the Stars and Sharks. By the time Brenden Morrow scored the game-winning goal, the clock read 11:34pm. The eighth-longest game in NHL history proved to be worth the wait for Dallas, as the Stars advanced to the conference finals with a 2-1, 4OT victory at American Airlines Center.


Marty Turco was simply outstanding. While Evgeni Nabokov's glove save on Brad Richards just above the line (way back in OT #1) was spectacular, the kick-save Turco made at the other end equaled Nabokov's brilliance. When hockey broadcasters use the phrase "kick save" they typically mean the goalie flinched his leg to deflect a puck traveling closer to the ice than a higher shot. This was truly a KICK save. Marty rivaled the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as he shot his right leg into the air to halt a shot midway through the first OT.

Shot after shot, Turco simply turned the Sharks away, stopping a franchise-record 61 shots on goal.

The two unquestioned leaders for this Dallas team during the post season - Morrow and Turco - proved to be the catalyst for advancing. I still can't decide which was bigger: Morrow's game-winning goal or his jaw-shattering hit on Machalak just before the end of regulation. Machalak might have the outline of that "C" imprinted on his face after Morrow sent him to the ice. Morrow simply destroyed him, and then followed up the hit - only an hour and nine minutes of ice time later - with the series clincher.

There was a lot of talk about how the Stars needed to win tonight or else they would have blown their 3-0 series lead and had to play game seven back in San Jose to decide the series. Turns out the Stars and Sharks ended up playing a seventh game, and even got 9:03 into an eighth before Morrow closed out the conference semifinals series with his goal.

Fortunately the Stars will have some time to regroup - and just plain sleep - before they start their conference finals series against the hated Detroit Red Wings on Thursday in Motown. (conference finals schedules)

Conference Semifinals Recap:
Game 1 - STARS 3, Sharks 2 (OT)
Game 2 - STARS 5, Sharks 2
Game 3 - Sharks 1, STARS 2 (OT)
Game 4 - SHARKS 2, Stars 1
Game 5 - Stars 2, SHARKS 3 (OT)
Game 6 - Sharks 1, STARS 2 (4OT)

** Looking at this series, it's very comforting to know the Stars earned three of their four wins in overtime, including the marathon last night/this morning. That ability to close out games in OT will definitely work to their advantage as the playoffs continue.

By the way, in looking to the NBA, the Boston Celtics proved why it's always nice to have home court/ice/field advantage in the playoffs. While it's never a good idea to lose three games to a team that you're expected to sweep, the C's simply held serve four times in this opening round series to advance to Round 2. And frankly that's all they need to do. It's foolish to think they can win an NBA title by only winning at home and losing each road game, but this does show the benefit of a higher seed.

Boston doesn't have to worry about NEEDING to win a road game. It would certainly help, and all those Celtics fans could probably sleep better at night. But it's not a necessity. So when a top seed like the C's do win on the road, it's really just icing on the cake.

The Stars - the underdog in each series thus far - have been fortunate enough to open each of their first two series with consecutive road wins. It's safe to say that will be a much tougher task going to Detroit. Once again, if the Stars can simply steal on game in Motown, they own home ice advantage the rest of the way. The Red Wings task is a much simpler one: just defend Joe Louis Arena while - if possible - also taking a game in Dallas.

The puck drops for Game 1 of Detroit/Dallas on Thursday. The Dallas Stars are only four wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Just knowing that will make it easier for me to sleep tonight - which is nice considering how late the game ended.

Game Fourgetable: Sharks 2, Stars 1

Tough loss in Game 4 for the Stars. The 2-1 Sharks win sends the series back to San Jose for a now-necessary fifth game. I'm sure there will be a lot of talk about how "it's never easy to sweep a team" and how "the toughest win is the one to close out a series", but the Stars had their chances last night.

I'm not here to poo-poo on a Stars 3-1 series lead, but if we look at this one game at a time, Dallas should be a little disappointed in Game 4. Both Sharks goals came off Stars errors. The first one on another Sergei Zubov no-look pass that was picked off and taken the other way for a breakaway shorthanded Sharks goal. No, this isn't a Game 3 recap. He did it on consecutive nights. The second goal came on a San Jose power play in the 3rd period after Mike Modano flung the puck into the stands.

Speaking of playing on consecutive nights, I hate hearing that as a reason why it's hard for a team to win. Perhaps that's an argument during the regular season when both teams are playing completely different schedules. It's the playoffs now. Both Dallas and San Jose had to play three games in four days. And from the looks of things, the Sharks are still hurting much worse than the Stars.

Maybe the Stars lost because American Airlines Center only allowed small broom-heads and not any brooms with a broomstick attached. Bad karma is a tough thing to overcome. Although I would argue that mental mistakes are tougher. The Stars don't have to play perfect to beat San Jose, but they do need to limit errors.

Between the pipes, the Stars seem to have very little to worry about. It was only nine years ago that Reunion Arena echoed with chants of "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" as the Eagle protected his nest en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Here we are now in 2008, and the packed AAC crowds can be heard chanting "Marty! Marty! Marty!" Turco has been great this series. Two of the three goals he gave up in Games 3 & 4 were on breakaway chances for the Sharks off the Zubov turnovers.

Then again, the only Stars goal came off a Sharks turnover right in front of their goal on what could only be described as a centering pass from San Jose's Devin Setoguchi to Stars winger Jere Lehtinen. Dallas's offense has been able to score 11 goals so far in this series, but keep in mind that eight of those goals came in the first two games. The Stars averaged 3.3 goals per game in their first round series against Anaheim, but Dallas failed to score more than once in regulation in both home games in this second round series versus the Sharks.

Perhaps the best cure for whatever ailed the Stars in Game 4 lies in Northern California. There's a chance that Dave Tippett has to pay taxes in San Jose because the Stars have owned the Sharks at HP Pavilion. So while Dallas coulda, shoulda, woulda in Game 4, they now have three more chances to close out this series. Doing so as quickly as possible is in their best interest as the next round holds what will be a bruising match up between this series winner and the NHL's best team, the Detroit Red Wings.

It's not panic time ... yet. If the Stars cut down on some of their mental errors, they are going to be very tough for San Jose to contend with the way the Sharks have been playing. San Jose will need to win four consecutive games after a 0-3 start to advance, something that hasn't happened since 1975 and only twice ever in hockey.

If the Stars are going to make a serious playoff push at Lord Stanley's Cup, they need to dispense of the Sharks ASAP and get some time to rest up before starting the conference finals. And Stars fans, please - *PLEASE* - don't think that the Stars could be making deep playoff runs now for the next five years based on this year's success. There's another Dallas team that disproves that assumption.

Game 5 is Friday, May 2 (tomorrow) with the puck dropping at 9pm CDT. So stay up late, get yourself a mug of hot chocolate and curl up on the couch (or get yourself a bottle of beer and invite your buddies over), as the Stars head to one of their best venues with a chance to close out the series.

Starting to BELIEVE: R2 G3: Stars win 2-1 (OT)

It's not a stretch to say that Dallas is not a hockey town.  Actually, if the Mavs were still a team competing for a title (instead of a mere nuisance along the way of the New Orleans Hornets playoff run), it would be hard to say how enthralled Big D would truly be with the Stars.

Hockey fans in general seem to be more die-hard than other sports fans.  It goes with the nature of the sport.  But in Dallas, it doesn't hurt that the Stars take a 3-0 series lead over the Sharks in the second round of the playoffs.  Now that the Mavs' playoff run ran out - and the Rangers are still the Rangers - the city of Dallas will focus in on the one team currently shinning the brightest.

Tonight's 2-1 OT win at the AAC has Dallas focusing on hockey again.  It's not that everyone jumped off the bandwagon and deserted this team, but there were simply other distractions.  The Stars hadn't advanced in the playoffs since '03.  They couldn't get past the Avs.  The lockout took away hockey all together.  And meanwhile the Mavericks emerged as contenders in the NBA, going to the finals in 2006, and the Cowboys - which will always own this town regardless of how many titles the Mavericks, Stars or Rangers could ever amass - began to compete again, getting back into the playoffs the last two seasons.

So the Stars haven't been forgotten, but there have been other - more successful - distractions.  As owner Tom Hicks was quoted in a recent Dallas Morning News article about Stars hockey being hot again:

"Dallas is a city that loves winners. Whether it's the Stars or the Mavs or the Cowboys – and hopefully someday it's going to be the Rangers again – there's a lot more interest when they feel like you're going to win."

And he's absolutely right.  Using myself as an example:

I don't think I missed more than one home Cowboys game this past season.  I went to more than a dozen Mavs games this year.  The Stars, well, I went to one game back in November.  When these teams were on the road, I didn't miss a Cowboys game I couldn't attend.  Actually, it was tough for anyone to miss those games as they were virtually all nationally televised.  I caught a lot of Mavericks games on TV when they were on the road.  Home or away, there weren't a lot of times I purposely made time to watch Stars games.  

It's not that I forgot they were there, but they simply weren't a priority over the Mavs or Cowboys at that time.  Hicks is right.  We like winners here in Dallas, and that's where our attention gravitates.  Since the playoffs began, I haven't missed more than a few minutes of the Stars games, even making it out to both Game 3s thus far.

Very few hockey gurus thought the Stars would be merely a game away from the Western Conference finals, yet that's where they are.  Up 3-0 on a team many picked to win the Cup this season, Dallas has a chance to sweep the Sharks with a win tonight at the AAC.  The true hockey fans enjoy seeing their team continue on its way toward the ultimate goal.  The residents of Dallas - myself included - are glad to have a winner.

As I sat at the game tonight with my Dad - a die-hard Cowboys fan since the team's inception in 1960 - explaining penalty shots, offsides and line-changes, it was easy to see why some in this football-intensive town may not totally grasp why someone flooded and froze the floor at that building the basketball team plays in.  Rest assured, it's called hockey.

And now, with the Stars only one win away from their first conference finals since their days at Reunion Arena, this city can focus in on the Stars, joining the hockey purists - who haven't been distracted by such novelties as a 13-3 NFC East champ or NBA Finals - in rooting for this team.  With the Stars on the fringe of being one of the final four teams in the NHL this year, it seems now is a time people are truly starting to BELIEVE.

Great night for North Texas sports!

What an unbelievable night for the Dallas-area sports franchises.

First, the Dallas Mavericks got back into the first-round playoff series against the Hornets with a 97-87 win.  The Mavs were flying high over the Hornets.

Then the Rangers, who had trailed the Twins 5-0, rallied to tie the game at 5-5.  Texas went on to win in the bottom of the 10th inning and proceeded to celebrate as if they'd clinched a playoff berth.  Either way, it was great to see the Rangers snap their 7-game skid.

Finally, the Stars were in San Jose kicking off their second-round playoff series (their first in five years).  After the Sharks drew even at 2-2 with only minutes left in the third period, Dallas' captain Brenden Morrow scored an overtime goal for the 3-2 OT win!

What a nice night in Dallas sports.  To make the weekend even better, the Cowboys have two 1st round draft picks tomorrow. (And a reported trade tonight gave the 'Boys an additional fourth round pick.)

Amazing night! ... I need sleep.

Duck Season over: Stars advance to Round 2

The Stars are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and oh, does it feel so good! While losing game five hurt, being able to close out the series on home ice became a rewarding bonus for the team and its fans.

courtesy of dallasnews.com

A few thoughts on the game:

+ Interesting stat the Dallas Morning News had: this is the first time the Stars closed out a series on home ice since beating the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals at Reunion Arena. This was the first ever series clinched by the Stars at the AAC (which opened in 2001, *cough* *cough*).

+ Stephane Robidas = good. Stephane Robidas + broken nose = great. Has anyone else almost forgotten about Zubov and Boucher? Okay, okay, not forgotten, but the way the defensemen have been playing, the future of the franchise looks brighter with each game. If Zubov and Boucher - or perhaps even if just one of them - can make it back for any part of this postseason, the emotional boost and the talent boost could prove a deadly combination for any Stars opponent.

+ Marty Turco : clutch. Dallas trailed 1-0 until finally getting on the board in the third period. Turco not only limited the Ducks offense to one goal one several quality scoring chances early in the game, but when the Stars snatched two quick goals on the other end, Turco dug in and held the one-goal lead when it mattered most. Turco out-dueled JS Giguere in this series - which is not something many goalies can say. If he keeps this up, the Stars have potential to continue advancing.

+ In playoff hockey, the best team doesn't always win; the hottest team does (see Anaheim then-Mighty Ducks, 2003). The Stars are hot.

+ Third period scoring for Dallas has been amazing this series. The Stars scored 12 3rd-period goals this series compared to only four from the Ducks. In fact, the Stars 3rd-period goals was nearly as many goals the Ducks had for the entire series (13).

+ Dallas averaged 3.33 goals/game this series, scoring three or more goals in all but two games. Early this season, there were concerns this team couldn't score enough to compete. If you average more than three goals per game, and if Turco continues to play how he has so far in the playoffs, we could be in for more than just two more weeks of hockey.

PODCAST: Stars return home for Game 6

Dallas Stars returning home for Game 6

Game 5 post-game notes

A few quick thoughts on Game 5, and then I need some sleep (stupid late-starting West Coast games).

• Can't blame Marty Turco for this loss.  He was solid in net despite a 5-2 score.  One of those goals was an empty-netter, one found the net during a 5-on-3, and another snuck through more traffic than a motorcycle on The 5 in Anaheim.  In the other net, Giguere played his best game of the series when he needed to the most.  The Ducks had their backs against the wall, and they put plent of shots on goal, pushing Turco to his limits.  If I'm a Stars fan, I'm not thrilled with Turco's performance, but I'm not bothered by it either.


• The lower-seeded teams in a seven-game series typically win it in Game 6, when they are back at their home arena.  The idea that the Stars would win this series in 5 was out there - to say the least - going into this series.  Dallas has a chance to close out the series at the AAC Sunday night at 8pm, a much friendlier environment than Honda Center.


• Where'd the power-play go?In the first three games of the series, Dallas scored eight power-play goals in 20 chances.  Since then, the power-play became a sour-play, with the Stars going 0-for-11 in game 4 & 5.  Dallas found ways to score in the last two games, but they need to take advantage of having an extra man.


• Desperation settled in for Anaheim.  The defending Stanley Cup champions know how to deal with urgency (see: 2007 playoffs and the resulting title), so it's not a total shocker they came out strong with their backs against the wall.  Dallas still holds a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close things out at home.  Despite the Duck-desperation, if you're a lower-seeded team in the playoffs, all you really want is a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6 on your home floor.  If you get to that point, you have more than solid chance to advance to the next round.
  

Stars/Ducks series highlights

Game 1
Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks - April 10, 2008
Stars win, 4-0



Game 2
Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks - April 12, 2008
Stars win, 5-2



Game 3
Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars - April 15, 2008
Ducks win, 4-2



Game 4
Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars - April 17, 2008
Stars win, 3-1

Power to overcome

The Dallas Stars are one game away from the second round of the playoffs.  Up 3-1 on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the series returns to Anaheim tomorrow night for Game 5.  After a fart-and-fall-down performance in the first two periods of Game 3, Dallas picked up right where they left off in their strong third period.

Dallas defeated the Ducks tonight 3-1, with Anaheim's only goal coming with a meaningless 7.6 seconds left in the game.  The Ducks hit the Stars early and often, and the Stars simply seemed to shrug them off, accept the punishment, then rebound to burry the puck.

I do worry that the very physical play of the Ducks could hurt the Stars in the long run; the long-run being the rest of this opening-round series, or the rest of their playoff run - however long it may be.  It's a good thing Dallas is up 3-1 in this series, because they are being dealt so much punishment along the boards, I'm concerned about their ability to continue to shrug off these hits.

As long as the Stars are willing to absorb these hits and pass the puck up to neutralize the Ducks' forecheck, Dallas will continue to find the success they've had all series long.  In the next rounds, providing they finish this series off, it will be interesting to see how much pain they can absorb.  The Stars don't have the type of "enforcers" that patrolled the rink when they won the Cup in '99.  The Hatcher-Matvichuck type of defensemen no longer reside in Dallas.  The Stars are succeeding with younger, faster defensemen (more because they've had to as a result of injuries) instead of big bruisers.

If Dallas continues to fight through the big hits, they can enjoy a long playoff run.  If not, they could find themselves at home sooner than expected.

3rd period may have saved series

Tonight's loss could have stung a lot worse for the Stars.  While a two-goal third period could not salvage Game 3, it may have just saved the series.

When Brenden Morrow scored his second goal of the third period to bring the score to the eventual final of 4-2, the Dallas crowd powered up.  The Stars became more aggressive along with their more realistic chance to complete a comeback.  While the four-goal comeback fell short, the surge sent a message to the Anaheim Ducks:

The Stars will not be rolling over.

Dallas still holds a 2-1 series lead.  A loss tonight is not a catastrophe thanks to sweeping the opening two games at Honda Center.  But had tonight's loss been by the demoralizing score of 4-0, I think the mentality of the team would be at a much lower point going into Game 4.  Because the Stars made a late charge to bring the deficit to two, the Stars should gain some confident and momentum that will carry over from tonight's final period into the opening moment of Thursday's game.

When the puck drops in 45 hours, the Stars should come out strong.  The Ducks still have some momentum from winning Game 3, but when Anaheim called their timeout after Dallas pulled within two, it sent a message to not only the Stars but the crowd at the Double-A C.  The Ducks needed to find a band-aid to stop the third-period bleeding.  They found it when they killed a four-minute penalty late in the game, but the panicky timeout represented the fear Anaheim had of letting things get more out of control.

Come Thursday, we'll see who takes control by winning the game and going on to win this opening-round series.  The Game 4 winner will go on to take this series.  If the Ducks win, it's 2-2, and all the good work Dallas did by winning twice in Anaheim is ancient history.  A win for Dallas, and the Stars go up 3-1 with three chances to put away the Stanley Cup champions.

Go Stars!

Duck Hunt

After two games in Anaheim to open their first-round playoff series between the Dallas Stars and the Ducks, I'm not surprised to see a 2-0 series. I just had no idea it would be the Ducks now chasing the series.

Dallas has looked liked a team of Stars with goalie Marty Turco allowing only two goals in two games, including a shut out in Game 1 (his fourth in his last seven playoff games). The powerplay has been disgustingly successful (6-of-13) while the penalty kill has frustrated the Ducks (1-of-9).

While it might be a shock the Stars left Anaheim with a 2-0 series lead, this is a Stars team that has been trying to gel since making the deadline deal to bring Brad Richards to Dallas from Tampa Bay. Now the Stars seem to gellin' like a fellon who just stole two games that on paper they had no business winning.

The series moves to the American Airlines Center in Dallas this Tuesday with Dallas working on putting a big hurt on the Ducks. If Dallas can go up 3-0, they will have two chances (if necessary) to close out the series in Dallas. However, after how they've been playing in the first two games, maybe going for the series win in Anaheim would be better.

Will the Stars go all the way? Eh, there's not really a lot of evidence from the regular season that suggests they can. However if you ask that question and must answer based on what we've seen in two playoff games (an admittedly small sample size), then you have to like Dallas's chances for a deep playoff run.