Don't even try to understand the Dallas Stars' run through the playoffs. It's an utter miracle, reminicient of the 1980 Olympic Mircale on Ice put on by the USA hockey team.
There is no way this team with this talent, this experience, this history, should be two wins from heading to the Stanley Cup finals. Yet here the Stars are, thriving under the heatlamp, bowling through momentum shifts, taking respect inch-by-inch. Two more wins from knocking off the mighty Red Wings.
True, there is still a daunting task ahead of them. The Stars must win a third game in-a-row over Detroit only to force a game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. However, I don't think anyone can count these players out of even the Battle of Balaclava after what we've witnessed this season and post-season.
Dallas fought it's way to the top of the NHL in the middle of the season with scalding-hot play. It took care of the defending Cup champs in six games. After that tough series against Anaheim I figured San Jose would eat through the Stars as the Sharks have had their number for a while now. But I was dead wrong. Stars win the first games and close it out in four overtimes. They proved they are mentally and physically tough.
But they still hadn't proved they were good enough to beat the best. They have been playing a ton of rookie defensemen, Sergei Zubov has been injured, Mike Modano is older, and of course goalie Marty Turco had never beaten Detroit at the Joe.
All those are moot points now. The defensemen have held up. Did you see that unbelieveable play in game 5 where Brad Richards dropped the puck between his legs and rookie defensemen Joe Daley unflinchingly finished off the goal to beat three Red Wings and goalie Chris Osgood? Zubov has fit in just fine in coming back to the team, and he has added more of a veteran presence as well. Mike Modano has scored, assisted and never once gotten in new captain Brendan Morrow's way. There's not a whole lot that needs to be said for Marty Turco. Right now he looks like the Conn Smythe favorite if he can make it to the Finals. He just ended his winless streak Saturday against the Red Wings at the Joe in dominating fashion.
Just three teams had ever come back to force a game 6 after falling behing 3-0 in an NHL playoff series coming into the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. San Jose made it four in the quarterfinals against the Stars. And now the Stars have turned that karma around to make it five teams, this time against the Red "Army" Wings.
Two of those previous four teams went on to win game 7. It's not a likely feat, but it's a very possible one when you get to this stage in the game with confidence and all the momentum. Detroit has more talent, the game 7 home-ice advantage, and the one-game series lead. Detroit against Pittsburgh, the Eastern Confernce champ, next week is still the safer bet. But don't even think about laying down the farm on the Wings. The Stars might put you on the streets.
1 comment:
Good for them!
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