Just unfair

- It just seems unfair to play these guys. How can a salary cap-era team be this good?

- It was like they were just toying with the Stars all night. Letting them tie the game twice, and then promptly slamming the door shut on them.

- Case in point - Modano whips a bad ass back hand pass across Osgood right to Grossman who slams it in for a 1-1 tie. The Stars worked hard as hell for almost a minute in Detroit's end, working hard, working the puck, holding it for as long as they have all postseason, and got rewarded with a goal. It was a satisfying sequence. And the crowd was electric.

- The towels hadn't stopped waving in the crowd and Detroit goes right down the ice (after winning the face off of course) and scores 37 seconds later. Air out of the building, and from then on, the same intensity they had been seen to open the game was gone.

- The Stars played with passion, with aggression, and had awesome puck control. And put a ton of pressure on Detroit for 2 periods. They looked like a team that was playing as good as it had all postseason. But it didn't matter, Detroit was that much better.

- It's just depressing to watch. The Stars are working their asses off to score a goal, and to make this thing a game/series. And it just seems like Detroit can roll out any one of 4 lines out there and score at will. They are never worried.

- What's also depressing is, in the past 2 games, the Stars have played with energy and passion, they just aren't scoring on golden chances, and are learning that they're just not good enough to win these games.

- Nik Hagman is writing his own Dallas obituary. He's making it very easy for management to let him go this off season. He's had more chances than any player on the ice in these 3 games, and has nothing to show for it. Add a dumb penalty last night, and it's safe to say that the Stars will let him walk.

- The difference between these 2 teams? Detroit slams home their golden chances because they have 4 lines of ridiculously talented 2-way players. And Dallas has only 1 or 2 lines of talented players. (Who are still a level below Detroit).

- What's sad is, the Stars really do have good offensive and defensive talent. They were better than a division winner, and a defending Cup Champion. But Detroit is just that much better, and is making Dallas look like an expansion team. They're that good.

- Detroit has 4 or 5 legit lines that threaten you non-stop. You can't defend that. You just can't.

- The rookie defenseman are just having a miserable series. You can get away things against San Jose and Anaheim, but Detroit will eat your lunch. Game 1 it was Mark Fistric making mistakes that lead to 3 goals. And last night it was Matt Niskanen who allowed the backbreaking goal on a premature exit from the ice before the puck was cleared out of the zone.

- I said before the series that the rookies were likely to get exposed. That Detroit's stars eat rookie defenseman alive. Well there you go.

- Another thing that makes Detroit what they are. Jiri Hudler, a no-name, scores on a shot that I'm not sure anyone outside of maybe Ribeiro, Richards, or Modano can make. A breakaway backhanded shot over Turco's shoulder. The thing is, if that spare (relative to the other Detroit players) can make that shot, the WHOLE team can as well.

- All in all, a great season, a great postseason, expectations were met and exceeded 10-fold, and I will be grateful for the good times provided this year. No way I thought when I became a ticket holder back in August 2007 that I would be attending a Western Conference Final game at the AAC in May 2008. I got more out of this year than I could have ever imagined. I'm just going to enjoy it one last time tomorrow night, take it all in, and thank the Stars for a wonderful 9 month joyride.


Dallas Stars' Turco has a Game 3 to forget

04:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Dallas Stars got nearly everything they were seeking when the Western Conference finals shifted back to Dallas on Monday.

The fact that Detroit won, 5-2, suggests that maybe the Stars are looking for something that isn't out there.

They got the better scoring chances early, outshooting the Red Wings, 5-0, in the first few minutes. They got the Red Wings to take penalties, giving Dallas a seven-minute edge in power-play time.

They won 43 percent of the faceoffs, which may sound awful given that they were at home, but after winning 38 and 29 percent in Games 1 and 2, at least the Stars got to play with the puck a little more frequently.

And they limited the team that gets the most shots on goal to 21 shots, their fewest in the postseason by five.

But they lost, 5-2, because they didn't get one thing they have lacked in this series.

They didn't get stand-on-his-head goaltending from Marty Turco.

It was strange to see him looking so 2005 playoffs vulnerable in net here, the first game back at American Airlines Center since he delivered one of the best goaltending nights in Stars history. Turco stopped 61 of 62 shots against San Jose last week, allowing the Stars to advance to the conference finals with that four-overtime victory.

Turco stopped 16 of 21 shots Monday.

It was nothing like the Turco who outplayed Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere and San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov. Nothing at all.

That's not to say the Red Wings aren't the better team. Their skill players perform at a level that the Stars are unable to get to.

Or defend.

Pavel Datsyuk's hat trick, Henrik Zetterberg's short-handed goal and two assists – this is a two-man wrecking crew that apparently doesn't even need Johan Franzen, who was leading the team in goals before missing Games 2 and 3 with a concussion.

"They put Datsyuk and Zetterberg and [Tomas] Holmstrom out there with [Nicklas] Lidstrom and [Brian] Rafalski – that's probably the five best guys I've seen or played against in a long time," center Mike Modano said.

And when that group creates chances, they bury them in the net, not in Turco's pads.

"I'm not sure what's going on other than the obvious of just getting outscored and not doing enough," Turco said. "My perspective is pretty simple. I'm out there just worrying about what I need to do.

"And it just hasn't been good enough for me. We're 0-3, so obviously I haven't been giving the team their best chance to win."

The Red Wings have had five multiple-goal periods against Turco out of nine tries. We saw nothing like that from the Ducks and Sharks, but then the Red Wings are a heck of a lot better than the Ducks and Sharks.

There's a reason this team wins the Presidents' Trophy more often of late than Tiger Woods wins majors. They're better than everyone else, and after frustrating playoff losses to Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton and the Ducks again the last four years, the Wings are determined to prove it when it counts.

If the Stars have any hope – and I'm talking about getting to see Detroit again, not winning a seven-game series – it has to start with Turco on Wednesday.

Forget scoring chances, winning faceoffs, getting power plays.

To energize this team and the fans who will surely carry considerable doubt into the building for Game 4, Turco needs big, big stops when he's facing Zetterberg and Datsyuk firing at him from the slot, from point blank range.

Get this crowd chanting "Marty, Marty" again instead of offering derisive applause when he stops a shot from center ice.

Then and only then we can talk about what might or might not happen in Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena.




- Top 10 moments in Dallas Stars history.



Controversy in the crease headlines Stars' all-time playoff moments

What is it about the Dallas Stars and incredibly long playoff games? Amazingly, Dallas has been involved in five of the 20 longest playoff games in league history. This season's quadruple-overtime thriller against the Sharks should have been expected. We dig into the history books and go all the way back to the franchise's roots in Minnesota to examine the most memorable playoff games in Stars/North Stars history.

10. April 29, 1997: Game 7, Western Conference quarterfinals vs. Edmonton (4-3 loss in OT)
In what was one of the fastest and most entertaining playoff series of the decade, it was only fitting a Game 7 was needed to determine a winner. The No. 2 seed Stars, arguably the best team in the NHL, had fought tooth-and-nail in Game 6 to eek out a 3-2 win and force a Game 7 on home ice. Dallas carried the play throughout Game 7, but Curtis Joseph was unbelievable, making one save after another. Cujo had already shut out the Stars twice in the series but saved his best for the final game. In overtime, swarming Joe Nieuwendyk had a wide open net off a rebound, but Joseph dove across and made an all-time great glove save to continue the game and the series. Off the next faceoff Todd Marchant turned on the jets at center ice, raced past Grant Ledyard, who had slipped and then beat Andy Moog for the game and series winner. At the time, this was arguably the most unexpected and disappointing loss in Stars franchise history.

9. April 16, 1968: Game 7, Quarterfinals vs. Los Angeles (4-3 series win)
In the first year of the expansion era, the Minnesota North Stars were one of six new teams to join the Original Six and form a 12-team NHL. That spring, the North Stars played in their first playoff series against another expansion cousin -- the Los Angeles Kings. The North Stars lost the first two games in L.A. before winning the next two on home ice. After losing Game 5 in L.A. and facing elimination, Minnesota needed an overtime goal by Milan Marcetta in Game 6 to force a Game 7. The North Stars were the clear underdogs, returning to Los Angeles where they had already lost three times, scoring just three goals total. But the North Stars would light up the scoreboard, beating Kings goalies Terry Sawchuk and Wayne Rutledge nine times for a 9-4 win. The North Stars won their first playoff series in dramatic fashion.

8. April 11, 2007: Game 1, Western Conference quarterfinals vs. Vancouver (5-4 loss in 4th OT)
The sixth longest game in NHL playoff history had a bitter finish for the Dallas Stars. Much like a decade earlier, when a young Curtis Joseph gave Dallas shooters fits, Roberto Luongo -- making his playoff debut -- couldn't be beaten in overtime. Luongo made an incredible 72 saves, including many spectacular ones during overtime. Marty Turco was equally solid for the Stars until the Sedin twins got to him. Henrik scored the game winner on a pass from his brother Daniel 18 minutes into the fourth overtime. Another heartbreaking overtime loss for Dallas. The Stars lost the series in seven games.

T-7. May 27, 2000: Game 7, Western Conference finals vs. Colorado (3-2 win)
For the second straight year the Stars and Avalanche met in the Western Conference finals and for the second straight year a seventh and deciding game was needed to determine a winner. Once again, in the final game, the Stars suffocating defense kept the likes of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg in check. Eddie Belfour made 31 saves and got some help from the Stars special teams. Sergei Zubov and Mike Modano both scored power-play goals as Dallas took a 3-0 lead midway through the third period. The Avalanche scored twice on the attack to make it a 3-2 game and then in the final minute Ray Bourque (still in search of that elusive Stanley Cup) rang a shot past Belfour but off the post as the Stars advanced to the Stanley Cup finals for a second straight year.

T-7. April 22, 1984: Game 7, Norris Division finals vs. St. Louis (4-3 win in OT)
One of the greatest playoff wins in Stars history came in 1984 in a seventh game of the second round. A team led by young stars Neal Broten, Brian Bellows and Dino Ciccerelli had already eliminated the Blackhawks 3-2 in a best-of-five series. Against the Blues, the Stars were counting on their depth and the importance of home ice to get by. By Game 7, St. Louis was focused on shutting down Bellows and Broten, so when the game went to overtime it was Steve Payne who stepped up to be the hero just six minutes in. Payne's third career overtime goal made a winner out of Stars goalie Don Beaupre, who was brilliant throughout the playoffs. The win sent the Stars to the Conference finals where they were swept by Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers.

6. April 27, 1980: Quarterfinals vs. Montreal (4-3 series win)
This North Stars team was one of the youngest in the NHL with only one player older than 30 (Paul Shmyr, 33). Led by Al MacAdam, Steve Payne and Bobby Smith, Minnesota finished the season above .500 for the first time in seven years. After eliminating the Maple Leafs in a three-game sweep in the first round, the Montreal Canadiens -- winners of four straight Stanley Cups -- were next up. Montreal finished third overall in the NHL standings and boasted a lineup that included two 50-goal scorers in Guy Lafleur and Pierre Larouche, along with future hall of famers Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson and Bob Gainey -- all still in their 20s. Undaunted, the Stars won the first two games in Montreal. The Habs stormed back winning the next three games, outscoring a shell-shocked Minnesota 16-3. In Game 6 at home, the Stars would win 5-2 to force a Game 7. Montreal was the heavy favorite. Everything pointed to a Canadiens win -- they were the higher seed, at home and were far more experienced having won 13 straight playoff series. But the Stars would not be denied: Goalie Gilles Meloche withstood incredible pressure and the Stars pulled off the shocking upset, beating Montreal 3-2 to win the series and end the Canadiens' dynasty.

T-5. June 1, 1999: Game 6, Western Conference finals vs. Colorado (4-1 win)
With their season on the line and facing Patrick Roy on the road, the Dallas Stars put together one of the best playoff games in franchise history. Claude Lemieux opened the scoring for Colorado, beating Eddie Belfour in the final minute of the first period. From that point on Dallas dominated. Jere Lehtinen tied it up early in the second period, then in the third, Jamie Langenbrunner scored twice to seal the 4-1 win. Ed Belfour made 26 saves in the win as the Stars exercised their previous playoff demons. In Game 7 at home, Dallas again dominated, winning by the same 4-1 score, advancing to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1991.

T-5. June 10, 2000: Game 6, Stanley Cup finals vs. New Jersey (2-1 loss in 2nd OT)
In 1999, Dallas won a Stanley Cup in an overtime thriller. One year later, the Stars found themselves on the wrong end of an overtime Cup-winning goal. Eight minutes into the second overtime period, Jason Arnott driving to the net, beat a sprawling Ed Belfour to give the Devils their second Stanley Cup. Arnott becomes the 15th and last player to score a Cup-winning overtime goal. The loss came less than 48 hours after Mike Modano had scored in triple overtime to give the Stars a 1-0 win in Game 5 and send the series back to Dallas.

4. April 24, 2003: Game 1 Western Conference semifinals vs. Anaheim (4-3 loss in 5th OT)
In one of the NHL's all-time epic playoff battles, the Stars and Ducks battled at the American Airlines Arena into the wee hours of the morning, until Peter Sykora finally ended the game less than a minute into the fifth overtime by beating Marty Turco stick side on a pass from Adam Oates. The game lasted nearly six hours, finishing as the fourth longest game in NHL playoff history, 11 minutes longer than this year's thriller against San Jose. The Stars dodged a bullet, temporarily, in the third overtime when an apparent goal by the Ducks' Steve Thomas was disallowed because the Stars net was loose. J.S Giguere, eventual playoff MVP, was amazing in this game making 60 saves, 40 in overtime. Turco was equally good finishing with 50 saves, including an acrobatic highlight-reel stop in the second overtime off a Paul Kariya shot. Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov logged a game high 63:51 seconds of ice time. Reportedly, he lost eight pounds during the eight-period marathon.

3. April 22, 1984 Game 7, Norris Division finals vs. St. Louis (4-3 win in OT)
One of the greatest playoff wins in Stars history came in 1984 in a seventh game of the second round. A team led by young stars Neal Broten, Brian Bellows and Dino Ciccerelli had already eliminated the Blackhawks 3-2 in a best-of-five series. Against the Blues, the Stars were counting on their team depth and the importance of home ice. By Game 7, St. Louis was focused on shutting down Bellows and Broten, so when the game went to overtime, it was Steve Payne who stepped up to be the hero just six minutes in. Payne's third career overtime goal made a winner out of Stars goalie Don Beaupre, who was brilliant throughout the playoffs in net. The win sent the Stars to the Conference finals where they were swept by Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers.

2. May 4, 2008: Game 6 Western Conference semifinals vs. San Jose (2-1 Win in 4th OT)
After leading the series three games to none, the Dallas Stars -- in overtime of Game 6 -- were facing what could have been a historical Game 7 back in San Jose. Luckily, Dallas made its own history by winning the sixth longest overtime game ever. Conn Smyth candidate Brendan Morrow scored the game winner on the power play, beating Evgeni Nabokov nine minutes into the fourth overtime. Marty Turco, who had been unfairly characterized as a "weak" playoff goalie by some, answered his detractors by making a franchise-record 61 saves for the victory. Nabokov, despite the loss, made one of the all-time great playoff saves, stopping Brad Richards on a one-timer with his glove less than two minutes into the first overtime period. The win thrust the Stars into the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2000.

1. June 19, 1999: Game 6, Stanley Cup finals vs. Buffalo (2-1 win in 3rd OT)
This game will always be remembered for its controversial finish, and the fact it brought Dallas its first and only Stanley Cup championship. The second-longest game in Stanley Cup Final history and the 18th longest playoff game ever, ended nearly 15 minutes into the third overtime period when Brett Hull, on a rebound, beat Dominik Hasek for the Cup clincher. Hull scored the winner with his left skate in the crease, but the league ruled Hull had possession of the puck and was entitled to be in the crease on the play. An incensed Sabres team was in disbelief that the goal counted and waited for 20 minutes in their dressing room expecting the goal to be overturned. An exhausted Stars team celebrated the championship while the fans in Buffalo protested the loss.

The controversial ending overshadowed what was a dramatic back-and-forth game featuring two future hall of fame goaltenders Eddie Belfour and Dominik Hasek, who combined to make 101 saves. The two goalies allowed just 22 goals in the series -- the lowest scoring six-game total in NHL finals history. For Hull, who played much of the series with both a knee and groin injury, the win was especially sweet as he joined his father Bobby as a Stanley Cup winner. Mike Modano led the Stars with 23 points in the postseason, while Joe Nieuwendyk was named playoff MVP.