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Another hurdle for Marty Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Stars goalie Marty Turco has put an end to the questions surrounding his playoff performances, but now he is getting hit with a whole new round of questions. These have to do with the Detroit Red Wings, his nemesis over the years, and Joe Louis Arena, where he's never won a game. Turco is 2-10-5 lifetime against the Red Wings with a 2.88 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. At Joe Louis Arena he is 0-7-2 with a 3.18 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. It's no surprise that the Detroit and Joe Louis Arena issues came up on Tuesday as the Stars returned to work in Frisco for a team meeting and an optional skate. "I just haven't played my best up there at times," Turco said to a larger than usual media gathering Tuesday in Frisco. "One thing I've always said to myself is that it's not the playoffs. This is a whole different animal. It's about what's in the future and learning from what we've done before, which has been a lot over my career. To say I am looking forward to this is an understatement." During an NHL conference call a few minutes later, it was the same question again for Turco. "There’s not anything that has done in the past, positive or negative, that really affects you going into the playoffs," Turco said. "Our focus and everyone playing this time of year, it’s all about your next save, your next shift, the next game. You know, I’m certainly no different. In preparing to play now against anybody anywhere, rink, pond, day or night, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about preparing to do so. "I’ve always known in the back of my mind playing these guys and having a lack of success, I always knew it hasn’t happened in the playoffs, and that would be the ultimate test to see where you stand. So to say the least, I’m looking forward to it." Turco isn't the only one being asked about it the Red Wings and The Joe. So are his teammates. "I am sure you guys are making a bigger deal of it than he is," said captain Brenden Morrow. "It's the same size rink, the same shape. His job is to focus on the puck and make the saves. He's done a good job of shutting the distractions off. For us to do well he's going to have to play the same way he has been, and there's no reason he shouldn't be able to do that." There's a belief among the Stars that his past record against the Red Wings is just that - in the past. "It's a new day. This is a new series," said Stars center Mike Modano. "It's time to re-establish yourself again and quiet those critics. I am sure Marty will use it as an opportunity to prove it to everybody and change people's opinions about his situation in Detroit." The guy Turco will be squaring off against in the series - Detroit goalie Chris Osgood - doesn't read much into Turco's history against the Red Wings either. "What's in the past is in the past," Osgood told reporters in Detroit "It's right now that matters." And right now, Turco has been on a roll in these playoffs. He's 8-4 with a 1.73 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. The goals against average ranks second in the playoffs to Osgood and the save percentage ranks fourth among playoff goalies. "He’s had us on his back for two rounds here," said Morrow. "It’s been real fun to watch. He’s been spectacular in making the hard saves look easy for us for a long time. It’s been a lot of fun to watch." This season's performance, along with last season's goaltending duel with Roberto Luongo in the first round loss to Vancouver, has catapulted the monkey off Turco's back as far as the playoffs. "Just looking at the way he's playing right now, he's playing with a lot of confidence and I think you can see the way he comes and challenges shooters," Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. Stars coach Dave Tippett said the struggles against the Red Wings and the woes at Joe Louis Arena go beyond Turco, and doesn't think any of it is much of a factor heading into this series. "Maybe it's time for a great coming out party for him in there. The goaltender can't do it himself, it's the way the team plays in front of him," Tippett said. "We haven't had a lot of success up there and Marty hasn't with the team with the front of him, but there is no better time than now to jump over some of those hurdles. I don't think it is a factor as at all."
Quotable "I think he’s really good, athletic, committed, growing up, calm, professional. What I mean by 'growing up,' he’s been through it. You want to talk about adversity, this guy’s been through it." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock on Stars goalie Marty Turco Quotable II "You can get under his skin a bit if you have guys there, bumping him a bit. We have a guy like that on each line in Homer (Tomas Holmstrom), Mule (Johan Franzen) and [Dan] Cleary. It keeps him from seeing the puck and coming out and cutting down the angles if you have someone there." Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios on playing against Turco
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