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Stars News & Notes: Underdogs again Wednesday, May 07, 2008 Ask Mike Modano about the Dallas Stars being underdogs in the Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings and you almost get a yawn. Been there, seen that. "Nobody picked us in the previous two series either," Modano said after Wednesday's practice in Frisco. "It's no surprise to us. That's just the way it's been. We weren't even the favorite the year after we won the Stanley Cup. That's how the media has perceived our team." But that's not how the Stars perceive themselves. "We really don't look at ourselves as the underdog," captain Brenden Morrow said. "We think we can go in and steal some games. We're going to go in and focus 60 minutes at a time, trying to do the same things we did in the first two series and come home with the lead." Stars goalie Marty Turco said the team hasn't felt like underdogs at all throughout the playoffs, even though they weren't exactly the favorites against Anaheim or San Jose. "I haven't come into a series thinking it wasn't winnable," Turco said. "I thought we've had a chance to win every series and we have so far. For me this series isn't any different. We know we can go up there, play well and win games. ... Our confidence is there. We don't think it can be shaken." Stars coach Dave Tippett said the Red Wings being the favorites is no big surprise. They won the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best team over the long haul of the regular season. That said, he added that doesn't believe the role of favorite and underdog is much of a factor once the puck drops and the teams start playing. "You need to play to your max, whether you are the underdog or he favorite to be successful. I think our guys are going to play," Tippett said. "Obviously [the Red Wings] are the favorite going in, but we just have to do the things that made us successful in the playoffs. We'll play as hard as we can, and see what the outcome is." Although the Stars have heard a lot about the underdog role, Modano said they don't focus on it a lot. They just try to keep their minds on the task at hand. "We're used to it. We really don't go into that. We don't go into to it too much," said Modano. "We just want to play good hockey, be competitive and really stick to what is really strong about our game and hopefully that will match up well against them." Tippett said that his team has been the underdog in the first two rounds, but believed that they could win. And with wins over Anaheim and San Jose under their belts, nothing has changed this time around. The belief that they can win is still there. "Deep down you have to believe you can win, and that's where we've been. We believe we can win," Tippett said. "That hasn't changed now. We still believe we can win." Injury update: Barnes, Boucher doubtful Forward Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms) and defenseman Philippe Boucher (hip) both skated on Wednesday, but it doesn't appear either be will be ready to go when Western Conference Finals open Thursday in Detroit. "Both skated today a little bit and they'll both be on the trip. They are both in the day-to-day mode," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "Boucher skated for the third straight day, which is a good sign, but I don't think either one of them will be ready for Game 1." Practice lines/Defensive pairings The Stars kept the same lines and defensive pairings from Sunday's sixth game against San Jose, except for one small change. Brad Winchester was skating on the fourth line with Steve Ott and Toby Petersen Wednesday. "He's got some experience playing Detroit in the playoffs from Edmonton," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "He's worked very hard in practice. We'll see how that goes." Winchester has one goal and two assists in five career playoff games against Detroit, all of that coming in the 2006 postseason.
Armstrong on the Stars' run Former Stars GM Doug Armstrong made an appearance on The Fan 590 in Toronto on Wednesday and one of the topics was the current playoff run of the Dallas Stars. Here's what Armstrong had to say. "I don't take personal satisfaction, but I am happy for those guys. They have paid their dues," Armstrong said. "Sometimes before you win you have to learn how to lose and understand what it's going to take. Last year's series with Vancouver, I thought, was a great stepping stone. When we had lost to Colorado the two previous years we weren't at the level of competition. Last year it was a great seven-game series and we came out on the wrong end of it, but there were a lot of positives. "That's why the previous management group didn't go out last summer and address any of the problems. The feeling was we weren't that far away, and we certainly didn't want to something that wasn't going to add to that group of players. So, we took our lumps in the summer for not doing anything. We brought a good group of players back and they are proving to be a good group of players. "I think Les [Jackson] and Brett [Hull] made a heck of a trade to bring [Brad] Richards in. I'm very happy for all those guys there. They've earned it, deserve it and I hope they go on to win a Stanley Cup."
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