As advertised

- Wow.

- Not sure if it was the mystique. Not sure if it was the dead legs from the 4 OT game on Sunday night (which I don't believe - 4 days rest is good enough). Not sure what it was last night. But good gosh that team is good.

- The Stars looked flat. They looked tight. They looked slow. They lacked intensity that was shown in their lack of hitting and standing up to Detroit punks standing in Marty's crease.

- I haven't watched Chris Osgood very much, I know he's very good, and I know he's been good for a while. But if he plays like he did last night for the rest of the playoffs, he might be the greatest friggin' goaltender ever.

- I'm curious to see if last night was a fluke, or if he really is that good. His blind save on the Zubov shot from the blue line, where he was screened by 3 guys, it even went through Morrow's legs, and he snagged it. That summed everything up. Also his saves on 2 different breakaways. I want clarity tomorrow night if this joker is really as good as he showed last night.

- From the get-go, it just felt like a matter of time before Detroit got on the board. And then when they called that bullshit roughing penalty on Mark Fistric, you just knew it was going to be 1-0. And it was.

- Marty couldn't do anything about any of those shots last night. He had guys up his ass in his crease on every power play. And he had a breakaway scored on him after another mistake by Fistric, a turnover in his own zone that Fillpula quickly put in on the far post. Last night was not Marty's fault.

- The Stars HAVE to do something about Holmstrom crowding Marty's crease. They HAVE to. If not, this series is going to be over quick, in 4 games maybe. In what summarized the whole night with less than stellar physical play, the Stars just let him hang in the crease, ass in Marty's face, and screen him the whole game.

- In the old days, Derian Hatcher, Richard Matvichuck, Craig Ludwig, or Daryl Sydor would have that guy on his ass bleeding from the mouth. No way would he have free roam in Eddie Belfour's face. And if those guys didn't put Holmstrom on the ice, Belfour would rack Holmstrom's nuts right off of his body.

- This picture says it all.


- But it just summed up the whole night for Dallas. They didn't hit. They didn't show any agression. Detroit is a finesse, skilled team. Dallas hits and plays physical. They should eat up soft teams like Detroit. I'm not sure if they didn't have their legs back from the San Jose series. I'm not sure they were scared of the Red sweaters. But they HAVE to hit these guys in the mouth Saturday night and get them thinking about getting hit. They HAVE to.

- Watching Detroit play keep away with the puck could be the most demoralizing thing I've seen in a while. It just about makes the game unbearable to watch. Dallas's offensive chances were few and far between. They just couldn't get any flow on offense or any scoring chances because they never had the puck.

- The 3 keys to the series that I detailed before Game 1 -

1) Marty/Detroit curse - It sure wasn't Marty's fault. And I'm not sure if the team as a whole was overwhelmed by the mystique. I think it was more of a lack of agression and energy. So this wasn't a factor.

2) Blue line rookies - Mark Fistric played horribly. A penalty to put Detroit on a 5 on 3 (although it was a crap call) and leads to the 1st goal. A turnover in his own zone that turns into the game ender. 2 mistakes turn into 2 goals. Not good.

3) Money players - Non-existent. Only 1 line showed any offensive pressure, the Richards-Erikson-Lundquist line. Other than that, Ribeiro's and Modano's lines were non-existent. That can't happen again.

- So they lose 2 of the 3 keys and get hammered. Only way they win is if they win all 3 keys. 2 out of 3 won't do it. 1 out of 3 surely won't do it. 3 for 3 is a must.

- All in all, I'm keeping hope. I'm hoping Game 1 was a dead legs, get the Detroit mystique/awe out of our system kind of game. I'm banking on Dallas coming back with stronger physical play. I'm banking on Osgood not being as good/lucky as he was in Game 1. And I'm banking on more scoring chances and better puck possession by the Star's top lines.

- They don't show up tomorrow night? This thing is over in 4 or 5 games.


Dallas Stars better rise quickly, or say goodnight

10:46 AM CDT on Friday, May 9, 2008

DETROIT – If the Stars, the team that played with bravado and arrogance in the first two rounds of the playoffs don't show up in a hurry, the Western Conference finals will end in four games.

No doubt.

You know it. I know it. Even the players know it, though they certainly aren't going to admit it.

The Stars played Game 1 as though they were afraid of the moment. Perhaps they spent too much time reading press clippings about Detroit's omnipotence. Maybe they're still emotionally hung over after their draining four-overtime win against San Jose on Sunday that propelled them into this series.

Whatever the reason, Dallas had better correct its issues quickly because the Red Wings have no concept of mercy.

Detroit 4, Dallas 1.

And the score could've been much worse.

Please, spare me all of the whiny e-mails about the officiating. Yes, the officials should've waved off Tomas Holmstrom's goal, which made it 3-0, since he was clearly in the crease.

But let's be real, would it have really mattered? Nope. The Stars still would've been smoked.

Besides, good teams overcome bad calls. Detroit finished with three power-plays goals. Guess what? They earned each of them.

The more aggressive team always gets the benefit of the doubt from the officials. It has been that way, no matter the sport, since the beginning of time – and it's never, ever going to change.

Even when the teams were at even strength, Detroit dominated much of the play with a puck-possession style that forced the Stars to chase the Red Wings. Actually, the Stars spent so much time in their own zone during the first two periods, no one should've been surprised they were popped for five penalties.

"You can't stand around and watch the puck," Brenden Morrow said.

Now, Dave Tippett must spend the next 48 hours making sure all of the confidence the Stars established in beating Anaheim and San Jose doesn't fade just because the Red Wings spanked the Stars.

He better start with Marty Turco.

The Stars goalie will spend much of the next two days answering a whole new set of questions about why he can't win at Joe Louis Arena, his personal house of horrors.

"Really, it doesn't matter," he said.

But it does.

So much of succeeding in pro sports is about having confidence and the proper mental approach, so we can't ignore Turco's raggedy record in Detroit.

Turco's regular-season career record against the Red Wings is 2-10-5. His NHL record at Joe Louis Arena is 0-8-2.

Sorry, we can't disregard that. Until he wins here, it's an issue.

The Red Wings faithful are well aware of his struggles in Joe Louis, and they serenaded him with rhythmic chants of Tur-co, Tur-co throughout the game. Turco was OK, but the Stars need him to be phenomenal to beat Detroit.

"A lot had to do with the team in front of him," Tippett said. "Not so much Marty."

With Mattias Norstrom already in the penalty box for hooking less than five minutes into the game, Mark Fistric took a stupid roughing penalty, giving Detroit a 5-on-3 power play for 1:26.

Nine seconds later, the Red Wings led 1-0 on Brian Rafalski's wrist shot.

The Red Wings made it 2-0 when Johan Franzen outmaneuvered Trevor Daley in front of the goal and deflected a shot into the net for his league-leading 12th goal of the postseason.

"If you lose after playing your best game, then you worry," Stars center Brad Richards said. "But we didn't play our best game. Once we do that, then we can start worrying about the Red Wings."