Game 4
Well, that was quite the performance last night. A lot of the stuff that was missing in the first three games was front and center Friday night. The Stars top players were great. Mike Modano was great, setting a tone for the team with his play. Marty Turco was excellent in net. They won the special teams battle. They didn't get burned by turnovers. The team defense was smothering a times. They kept the Avs pinned down in their own zone. It was just a great performance by a team with its back to the wall.
That said, this is still a monumental task. Putting together a four-game winning streak in a playoff series is not like putting one together in the regular season. You are having to do it against the same team in a series that is in a way like one big game in itself. There are adjustments and momentum shifts that happen on a game-by-game basis. The more evenly teams are matched the harder it is to win four in a row.
Since the Stars moved to Dallas they have won four straight games in a series twice. Once in 1994 against St. Louis and in the first round in 1999 when they swept the Oilers.
Speaking of that 1999 team that won the Stanley Cup, after the first round sweep of the Oilers they never won more than two in a row in any series. Neither did the 2000 team that went to the Stanley Cup Final the next season. It's that tough.
If you think about it, Colorado needed some luck to win the first three games of this series. Yeah, you make your own luck, but a lot of things have to go just right for four-game winning streaks to happen in a playoff series. It's not easy.
But the Stars players can't be thinking about that. It's a cliché, but it is one game at a time. They started by winning Game 4 in Denver. If they can win Game 5 Sunday in Dallas it is a 3-2 series.
If a series is still going after five games there are only two options -- you are either up 3-2 or down 2-3. The Stars are down so the focus is on Game 6 and tying the series. You win that it is down to a Game 7 at home. That's the mentality. They can't think about all the odds of winning four straight stuff. It is just focus on the game at hand. You can't do anything about what has already happened in the series, but you can do something about the game at hand.
One positive Colorado can take out of last night's game is the play of Jose Theodore. That's the best he has looked since joining Colorado. He didn't look sharp on the Jere Lehtinen goal and maybe the Niklas Hagman goal could have been stopped, but he was very good in the second period and didn't give the Stars anything in the third. He kept his team in the game.
29 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Modano comments
Do or die night for the Stars tonight. Pick up today's Dallas Morning News and there is some controversy. Manufactured controversy if you ask me. You've got a Gerry Fraley column calling for the Stars to sit Marty Turco and play Johan Hedberg.
Then there is a Mike Heika column on some Mike Modano comments where Modano is, well, Modano. He says what is on his mind and leaves himself open to criticism.
An excerpt:
Down 3-0, the Stars are facing elimination and Modano is hearing a bit of criticism lately for losing his showdown with Avalanche captain Joe Sakic. But although he was honest in his assessment of the battle ("It hasn't been going that great, I guess. Their line has been playing well."), he might have been too honest when he tried to break things down. Instead of stopping with his first comment, Modano tried to further explain the matchup, citing the strong play of Sakic's linemates, Andrew Brunette and Milan Hejduk.
"Everyone thinks Joe is a great player, but Brunette and Hejduk are just as creative and just as great with the puck," Modano said, "so the three of them as a group are making plays."
He went on, describing the exploits of Colorado defensemen Rob Blake and John-Michael Liles.
"You also have to look at the groups of five that go out against that group of five," Modano said. "Blake and Liles are out with those three guys, and that's four offensive guys who can get up and down the ice and make good passes, and sometimes it almost feels like you're three against five."
Wow. Any more room under the bus, Mike?
Modano is right about his teammates getting outplayed, just as he was right about USA Hockey's foibles at the Olympics. But you would think he could find a better way to say these things.
Yes, Modano is not the only one of his team's best players who is being beaten by the Avalanche's best players. But this is not the time for the captain to be praising the support group that surrounds the other guy.
When I first read Modano's comments on their own, I didn't have a problem with it. I didn't read it as Modano was saying that Joe Sakic has a better supporting cast than I do. Didn't read it as him dumping on his linemates or the Stars defensemen.
I read it as him saying when those five Avalanche players are on the ice, they are a formidable group of five. They are.
Has anybody been watching? They do like they like they have a manpower advantage at times even when playing five-on-five.
I guess you could interpret it as Modano throwing somebody under the bus, but I don't. It's just see it as Modano being Modano, not choosing his words carefully and leaving himself open to get ripped. And as was the case with his comments at the Olympics, the timing was poor.
It's like with a lot of stuff, it's open to interpretation. I've got mine and I am sure you will have yours.
28 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Game 3
For everything that has gone wrong for the Stars over the three games in the playoffs, nothing seemed worse than last night's overtime. The Stars looked like a beaten team from the drop of the puck in OT. It appeared that late goal by the Avs in the third just deflated them.
I felt bad for Brenden Morrow. He played a great game and then ended up being the fall guy because he took the late penalty. It was a bad penalty to take. He knows it and so should everyone else. If you put yourself in position to get called for a penalty your risk of getting fingered goes up immensely.
I give him a ton of credit for just coming out and saying he screwed up. No excuses. No blaming anyone else. He was accountable, which is admirable.
I thought Marty Turco, despite giving up four goals, made some good saves in the game. I thought he had been a difference maker up until the team's meltdown late in the third and in overtime.
The Avs got a favorable bounce late to tie and another good bounce in OT to win. But give the Avalanche some credit, they made their own luck. Get pucks and people to the net and you increase your chance of getting those good bounces.
This series hasn't been about luck so much as it has been about the better team leading it 3-0. The better team that has gotten outstanding play from its top players. I said it the other day and I'll say it again. The Avalanche's top players been far superior to the Stars' top players.
Last night it was Alex Tanguay who came up with the big night. On Monday it was Milan Hejduk. Joe Sakic has been great in the series. Those guys have been the difference makers.
Jose Theodore? He hasn't hurt them at all. He looks shaky at times, but he hasn't given up a third period goal yet in this series and in the last two games that has been a key in the Avalanche rallying to win. Of course you have to wonder if that has more to do with the Avalanche and Theodore or the Stars.
Wonder what Tom Hicks is thinking these days. Ditto for Doug Armstrong.
It's not officially over, so I'll wait to see what happens. But if the Stars go out with a whimper, which they just might Friday night, there are going to be a lot of questions to be asked during the off-season. A lot of them.
27 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Crunch time
It's crunch time for the Stars. Tonight's game will either breath some life into this series for them or suck the life right out of it. It's execute tonight or it's on the way to the playoff execution chamber. I don't think there is much analysis you can do.
What they have to do is well documented. It won't be easy, especially if the Avs continue to play smart and make plays the way they have the first two games.
I almost overslept this morning. Stayed up late to watch the Oilers knock off the Red Wings in double OT to take a 2-1 lead in that series. At one point it looked like the Red Wings had won it in the first overtime when Jason Williams scored from a sharp angle.
To be honest, my first thought was how did that go in? Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson looked stunned as the Red Wings were celebrating. The CBC's first replay was the overhead camera angle and it was pretty obvious the puck went it through the side of the net. The next replay showed that the net had been slightly lifted of its moorings when Roloson hugged the post. The bottom line: The puck went in underneath the side of the net. Game goes on into the second OT and Jarret Stoll wins it for the Oil.
One of the better non-goal highlights of the game was Chris Pronger and Brendan Shanahan battling for position in front of Roloson at one point of the game. It was a nasty, physical battle between two great players and neither guy was giving an inch. It was playoff intensity.
The great DISH-OLN dispute has ended. The two sides finally reached an agreement which gets OLN and the NHL on OLN back on DISH. OLN will be channel 151 on the America's Top 180 package.
26 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Game 2
From a pure entertainment standpoint last night's game was very good. From the Stars' standpoint it was a huge disappointment. A late shorthanded goal by the Avalanche to tie it and a deflection goal in overtime to win it.
Down 0-2 and heading to Denver. There was a lot of talk about the positives the Stars could take out of last night's game, but right now the Avalanche are simply outplaying the Stars to a man.
Just go down the list of key players on both teams.
Has Marty Turco been better than Jose Theodore? Nope. Advantage Theodore.
Has Mike Modano been better than Joe Sakic? Nope. Advantage Sakic.
Has Sergei Zubov been better than Rob Blake? Nope. Advantage Blake.
Has any Stars forward been anywhere close to playing as well as Milan Hejduk? Nope. Advantage Hejduk.
Has anyone on the Stars blue line been better than Brett Clark or John-Michael Liles? Nope. Advantage Clark and Liles.
The Stars need someone to step up with big plays. They got some in the second period to rally and get the lead last night, but they didn't get them in the third period and overtime.
They needed to cash in on one of those power play chances to give themselves some breathing room in the game. They needed a big save from Turco, but didn't get it.
Colorado got the big plays from Hejduk, Clark and the game-winner from Sakic in OT. They got some good stops from Theodore in the third as well. Nothing spectacular, but saves nonetheless that kept his team in the game.
Has Dave Tippett done a better job of coaching than Joe Quenneville? Nope. Advantage Quenneville.
Colorado's been ready to go two straight games. The Stars haven't. Tippett seemed in full panic mode for Game 2, totally juggling lines for the start of the game and his team responded with a dismal first period performance.
This series is far from over. An 0-2 deficit is not insurmountable, but a lot of players are going to have to raise their level if the Stars are going to make a series of it.
25 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Game tonight
To state the obvious, it's a big game for the Stars tonight. You can insert all the usual sports clichés here.
A loss tonight wouldn't be the kiss of death, but the Stars' lips would be close enough to start smelling the foul breath of playoff death.
A Stars win tonight and it is a best-of-five.
I fully expect them to come out with all cylinders clicking. It will be interesting to see how the Avalanche handle it.
It will come down to execution. The Stars were lousy at it on Saturday. They need to be way better tonight. You've probably all ready the various must do lists for the Stars.
I don't there's much else to say until we see how tonight goes. Game 1 was a disaster. How it fits into the bigger picture becomes a little clearer tonight.
I think the one thing I've gotten out of watching the various series is that there isn't a lot of difference between a lot of these teams. Edmonton is playing Detroit extremely well. Anaheim and Calgary are evenly matched. Welcome to parity. I think a lot of these first series could be long ones.
24 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Game 1
The disturbing aspect of Saturday's Stars-Avalanche game wasn't the fact that the Stars lost, it was how they lost. This looked like a team that totally unprepared for the first game of a playoff series. It was dismal. The Stars were just flat. They looked confused at times. They just didn't resemble a team with a playoff mentality.
Colorado, on the other hand, looked a like a team ready to kick it up a notch. They completely bottled up the Stars for most of the game. They got to a lot of the loose pucks. They made the smarter plays. They did what a team has to do to win a playoff game.
What's the one thing you would like to do with a rusty Jose Theodore in net. Put pressure on him. What did the Stars do? Get nine shots on goal in the first two periods.
What don't you want to do if you are the Stars. Put Colorado on power plays with penalties where you lose position and end up having to hold or hook. What did the Stars do? Just that.
Even when though they were up 2-0 late in the first, I didn't think they had been playing all that well. It took about 14 or 15 minutes of playing time for the Avalanche to just bury them.
A couple of turnovers and it was a whole new game. Philippe Boucher had a pass picked off, and odd-man rush resulted and it's 2-1. I thought that was huge. It turned it into a one shot game and got Colorado back on track.
In the second period, Jon Klemm loses the puck behind the net, Marty Turco is late getting back in position and it's 2-2 thanks to Wojtek Wolski, the No. 1 star of the game.
The Stars take a couple of penalties and Colorado scores on successive power plays when defensemen pinch in down low and get wide open shots and it's a 4-2 game.
The Avalanche dominated the special teams battle. The Avs' best players were better than the Stars' best players.
Can't lay this one on Turco. He was good. If it wasn't for him this could have been 8-2 or 9-2. He came up with some great stops. Yeah, he gave up five goals and but a lot of that had to do with the guys playing in front of him.
It's just one game. We'll see how the Stars adjust and respond in Game 2 and how Colorado handles it. That will dictate where this series stands as it heads back to Colorado.
22 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Playoffs are here
The playoffs are finally here. I thought last night's games were pretty good. The physical play was definitely at a high level and that made it fun to watch. There were some great hits last night. One of the better ones had to be Nashville's Shea Weber nailing San Jose's Milan Michalek in front of the benches. Jamie Lundmark and Joffrey Lupul dropped the gloves in the Flames-Mighty Ducks game.
I have to be honest, I watched with a lot of interest in how the games would be called. The league was talking tough coming into the playoffs, saying there would be no relaxation of what was called in the regular season.
I thought they called it down the middle from what I saw. I was flipping around and had the Nashville-San Jose game up on the computer so I didn't see any game in its entirety.
Anyway, last night there were a total of 50 power plays in the four games, ranging from a high of 15 to a low of ten.
Power plays played a big role in Ottawa's win over Tampa Bay last night. Nashville scored four power play goals in its win over the Sharks. The only game where power plays didn't play a factor was in Calgary's OT win over the Mighty Ducks. There were 10 power plays in that game, but neither team scored with the man advantage.
The lesson here is that the Stars are going to need to be disciplined against the Avs, who have the potential to do some damage with their power play.
22 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
So much for the Friday start to the playoffs. I am sure this had a lot of to do with the wishes of the various TV networks and what they wanted to show and when. You can credit TV for the varying start times as well.
Just to make things clear for those with OLN issues, it won't be a factor in the first round. OLN doesn't get exclusive rights to games until the second round of the playoffs. All of the Stars' first round games will be on NBC, KDFI or FSN.
I take back what I said about having little interest in last night's game. It turned out to be entertaining, especially the third period. It was fun to watch some of the role players get some extra ice time.
Not much to say otherwise. Web site time will be devoted to the main site and getting it ready for the playoffs. It will probably be ready late Thursday night.
19 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Blue Jackets, Wings, Avs
I'll watch tonight's game in Columbus, but my interest level will be pretty low. To be honest, my interest level wasn't too high last night either. It dropped as the game went on. Maybe it was watching Mike Modano too much. He looked uninterested for the most part. That's OK. He doesn't need to get interested until Friday.
There wasn't much intensity in that game. That's no surprise. There was very little at stake. It picked up some after the Cory Cross-Steve Ott fight. Cross looked ticked off. Ott the Snot must have really gotten under his skin.
Great finish for the Detroit faithful.
These third period meltdowns seem to be another one of those troubling trends for the Stars. It always seems to be something, eh? Remember when the concern was how they were always falling behind and having to rally? Despite the great record and all, they do keep things interesting.
It's on to the Avalanche. It should be a good series. Modano vs. Sakic. Turco vs. Theodore. Two top defensemen in Zubov and Blake. A lot of talent on both sides. The Stars have clearly been the better team this season, but I wouldn't underestimate Colorado.
I've caught them on TV a lot recently and haven't been overly impressed. I am not going to read too much into that. I expect them to be sharp in Game 1 against the Stars.
Lot's of great stuff in the East tonight. Top seed is still up for grabs between Ottawa and Carolina. The Rangers, Flyers and Devils are all still in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title and the No. 3 seed. All the matchups are still to be determined. It's going to be a fun night.
18 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
We find out tonight if it will be Colorado or Anaheim in the first round for the Stars. I vote for Colorado because I hate those late starts when the Stars play in California.
As for the matchup with the Stars, I think Anaheim is a better team than Colorado right now. We've all seen enough of the Ducks lately to know what they are about. They are a good hockey team and have been on of the better ones in the league over the last few months.
The Avs have a lot of questions surrounding them right now. Goaltending, scoring depth and a struggling power play to name a few. But they still have some talented players and that makes them a threat.
Everything goes out the window once the playoffs start, including what happened in the regular season. The 16 teams in the playoffs go back to 0-0 records to begin the playoffs.
The playoff schedule is supposed to come out Tuesday night once the regular season is over.
It's the Red Wings tonight. I am not going to read too much into the game. I don't know who Detroit is going to dress. Due to injuries, the Red Wings dressed just ten forwards for Saturday's game in St. Louis. They did have six defensemen. It still should be entertaining.
There seems to be some conflicting information on the start time of tonight's game. The Stars' official site has it as 6:30 pm and that's what my schedule said. But the Red Wings' site, the NHL and OLN all say 6 pm. Just a heads up.
I am going to be spending the next few days getting the main site ready for the playoffs. So, if the updates on the main site seem more lame than usual, it's because I am working on the bigger stuff for later in the week.
17 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Playoff teams set
So the eight teams in the West are set and no Canucks. I thought going into the season they were serious Cup contenders. So much for that, eh?
The top seeds are set in stone: (1) Detroit; (2) Dallas; (3) Calgary; (4) Nashville. After that, stuff is still up in the air. Anaheim, San Jose, Colorado or Edmonton can all still end up at No. 7. Nothing will change tonight because there are no games in the West.
A couple of great games last night. The Oilers-Mighty Ducks game was superb. Rexall Place was rocking, especially after Ales Hemsky scored with 34 seconds left to give the Oilers the 2-1 win.
It was playoff intensity. It also looked like playoff hockey from two years ago in the way the game was called. A lot of stuff was let go. I think (although I am not 100 percent sure) it was Teemu Selanne who got mauled at one point, getting almost lifted off his feet and tossed to the ice well after the puck left his stick. Nothing called. I checked out the post-game quotes and Selanne was griping about the officiating.
Here's an excerpt from today's Los Angeles Times:
"It's a jungle out there," said forward Teemu Selanne, who didn't have a shot on goal. "No question. There's some guys on that team that should get a penalty every second shift. They just get away with so much stuff. And then it's amazing that they called us."
The Oilers (40-28-13) were called for five minor penalties, two of which were delay of game for flipping the puck over the boards. The Ducks had only two in the first two periods but were forced to kill three power plays in the third.
"We get a couple of two on ones in front of the net and there's tripping and holding," Selanne said. "They could have called three different things. I'm really disappointed about that. If that's going to be the case, just tell us. No bench complaints. They talk about new rules but for the last little while, I don't know what the new rules [are] anymore."
Then there was this from the same article:
Duck Coach Randy Carlyle acknowledged his frustration with the officiating, but said, "You got to play through it. This is playoff-type hockey and that's what it was."
It will be interesting to see just how the playoffs get called. The league insists nothing is going to change, but I think just about everybody is still in a "I'll believe it when I see it mode."
There was another great game between the Sharks and Canucks. Ville Nieminen and Matt Carle scored goals to rally the Sharks, who won 5-3. That loss eliminated the Canucks. Another great game for Joe Thornton. Jonathan Cheechoo nets two more goals, including an empty-netter.
San Jose and Anaheim play Saturday afternoon. That should be a great one.
14 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Playoff picture, shootouts
Great game last night between San Jose and Vancouver, which was definitely playoff intensity level. The Sharks win 5-4 in OT to clinch a playoff spot. The way it looks right now is the Sharks, Avalanche and Ducks will be battling it out for the 5-7 seeds and the Canucks and Oilers will battle it out for the No. 8 spot.
The big games tonight are Ducks-Oilers, Sharks-Canucks and Avalanche-Flames. The picture could become a little more focused after those games.
Last night's Sharks-Canucks game was highly entertaining. There were several big momentum shifts. Canucks up 2-0. Sharks score next three to take lead. Canucks score next two to take lead. Sharks score late to tie. There were some great individual performances. Joe Thornton had four assists including going coast-to-coast to set up Christian Ehrhoff's winner in OT. Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists. His goal game on a great deflection set up by brother Henrik right off a faceoff. There were some great saves, including Alex Auld in the snow angel position making a great stop with his glove. There was a questionable call late on Jonathan Cheechoo for goalie interference. It had just about everything. Great stuff.
On to the Stars. Tim Cowlishaw has a column on the upcoming playoffs in today's paper. He offers this thought on the Stars:
The other concern is that the Stars lose their best friend in the playoffs. Dallas is 12-1 in shootouts. No team has used the NHL's latest gimmick to pad its point total like the Stars.
Go back to pre-lockout rules and the Stars would have 97 points. Anaheim would have 93. San Jose would have 92.
These teams aren't nearly as different as the standings make them appear to be. And in the playoffs, with sudden-death overtime replacing the shootouts, that's going to show up.
Legitimate point? Right now, yes. I wonder about it. Twenty-three percent of their wins his season have come via something that won't exist in the playoffs. But there's really no way to predict what, if any impact, it will have on how well the Stars do in the playoffs.
It is, however, part of the regular season and the Stars used it to their advantage to get the No. 2 seed in the West.
Time will tell.
13 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Blue Jackets game, OLN coverage
The Stars looked pretty good last night, except for the last few minutes of the game. They just completely bottled up the Blue Jackets for most of the game. It was text book Stars for the most part.
Mike Modano did not look so good. I am not going to read too much into one game, but he didn't look like a guy ready to go. The only thing more uncomfortable than watching Modano play at times last night was watching Brian May of Queen discussing musical arrangements with that American Idol candidate named Ace on my DVR this morning.
Anyway, the team gets a few days off so Modano can rest his knee and then Dave Tippett can decide how to use him over the last three games.
Big game tonight between the Sharks and Canucks. Vancouver really needs a win.
OLN has released the details of its playoff coverage. As far as game coverage it goes like this, according to the news release:
In the conference quarterfinals, from April 21-May 3, OLN anticipates covering 15 -20 games. This is also true of the conference semi-finals, which run from May 5-May 17. During the conference finals, which will take place from May 19-June 2, the network will present both series, anywhere between 7 and 12 games, depending on series outcomes. OLN's Stanley Cup coverage will culminate with the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final on June 5 and June 7. The network will also take advantage of hi-definition technology, presenting one series in both the quarterfinals and semi-finals in HD, as well as both series in the conference finals. Games one and two of the Stanley Cup Final will also be available in hi def. Throughout the playoffs, OLN will, when feasible, simulcast games from Canadian networks and domestic regional networks covering the playoffs, thereby giving hockey fans access to even more playoffs action.
The first round coverage is a little more than I anticipated. For those of you with OLN issues, I'd be watching to see whom the Stars play in the first round. I would sense that a Dallas-Colorado matchup will have a lot more appeal to OLN than say Dallas-Edmonton because of ratings.
If it is Dallas and Colorado, OLN may air a game or two of that series. A Dallas-San Jose series might be a good one for OLN if they opt to show a late game when the two teams play on the West Coast.
I guess we'll find out next week.
12 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
The Sharks and Mighty Ducks both won again last night. San Jose moves up to sixth and Anaheim, which clinched a playoff-spot, holds onto fifth. That leaves Colorado in seventh place, one point ahead of Edmonton and two points ahead of Vancouver.
I flipped between the Mighty Ducks-Canucks game and the Sharks-Coyotes game last night. The Sharks win was big for them on two fronts. Obviously there was the playoff implications, but there was also the fact that the Sharks were 1-4-2 against Phoenix heading into the game.
The Mighty Ducks looked good against the Canucks, building a 4-0 lead before eventually winning 4-2. The big home-and-home between the Sharks and Canucks will be Wednesday and Thursday. That should be fun to watch.
Edmonton is at Detroit tonight and Colorado hosts Phoenix. Both those games are worth keeping an eye on tonight.
I think tonight's Stars-Blue Jackets game could be a good one. Columbus has improved a lot since early in the season and may provide a good test for the Stars as they try to get their game in order.
If Mike Modano returns and no one gets a night of rest, the Stars should have their full set of forwards for the first time in a long time. Maybe they'll get some even-strength goals.
Mike Heika has some nice positive spin in today's Dallas Morning News on the Stars working to get more fans into seats at the AAC. You can look at the chart at the bottom of the article and create your own spin on everything.
The thing that stood out to me are the television ratings on FSN and KDFI. They are dismal. As someone who spent a lot of time fretting over TV ratings and looking for positives in them, it's hard to spin these numbers. They are pretty bad and the drop from previous years is significant. I think that's a reflection that the Stars' broader appeal has waned in the market.
If you are looking for a real rah-rah kind of spin, check out Razor's latest blog entry.
I thought the "Razorboy" signature was appropriate in this case. It comes across as sophomoric. I am sure it, to a degree, was meant to inspire and rally the Stars faithful, but I found it soporiferous. It forced me to take a short break before finishing this. Apologies to all you Razor fans.
11 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Coyotes game, bad news for Nashville
Well, what an ugly game in San Jose. I didn't think the Stars were that great in Phoenix the night before. I think those shootout wins can be misleading at times. They look good in the standings and all, but sometimes it's not an accurate reflection of how the actual hockey portion of the game was played. I look at the past six games and see that this team has one regulation win.
I'm still not as concerned about wins and losses as I am about level of play. And the level of play hasn't been good recently. The big question is whether this team is good enough to just turn it on when the playoffs roll around? It's not as easy at it sounds. We'll find out.
At the same time, I look around the league and don't see that many teams on fire. The Red Wings are rolling along. Anaheim is still playing well. The Sharks have won four in a row. The Rangers and Devils, who played a great game last night, are doing all right. Calgary seems to be picking up points every night.
Ottawa is struggling and has been caught in the standings by Carolina, who did it by beating Washington three games in a row. Buffalo and Nashville have slipped recently.
That's parity. There just isn't that much difference between a lot of these teams. I had to chuckle last night when Razor asked Steve Ott if the Stars and Sharks were pretty evenly matched. Ott's response was something along the lines of: No, we're in the second place and they are in eighth place.
I had a hard time telling that watching the Stars and Sharks play this season.
I was glad to hear Dave Tippett not cite the officiating as being a factor in last night's game. I was glad to hear Bill Guerin say you can't use the schedule and being tired as an excuse.
You can't control the officiating or the scheduling. All you can do is control what you do, and the Stars didn't do a very good job of that last night. Bad penalties and bad turnovers cost the Stars the game.
Back to Nashville, bad news for the Predators. Tomas Vokoun is done for the season including the playoffs. He had missed the last four games and was day-to-day as recently as Saturday with lower back pain.
That's a huge blow for Nashville. He's been the team's MVP this season.
10 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Modano's wonky knee
Did Mike Modano's injury look bad last night or what? That was like a big uh-oh moment. Things seemed a little better after Dave Tippett addressed the injury in his post-game comments. But that doesn't mean I still don't have concerns.
First, I don't put much stock in what teams say about injuries this time of the season. It's just the skeptic in me.
Second, it concerns me that this appears to be related to why he missed a game recently. He's got a wonky knee that has caused him problems twice here in the past week. Maybe it is just coincidence. Maybe it is more.
I suspect Modano will get a few games off. I can't see any point putting him out there against Phoenix or San Jose this weekend. These games are meaningless for the Stars as far as the standings. This team is locked into the No. 2 seed.
Just my opinion, but I don't see any gain from putting him out there.
As for the Stars getting the win, give big credit to Marty Turco. I know the Finns came up with the big goals, but Turco was superb in the third period when the Ducks were all over the Stars. Turco is looking very good right now, which is a positive sign going into the playoffs. He was the difference in the game.
The Stars best line right now? It has to be the Niklas Hagman, Niko Kapanen and Antti Miettinen trio. I think they have been the Stars' most consistent line since the break. A few ups and downs, but not many. And all three are contributing on special teams be it the power play or penalty kill.
The Mighty Ducks killed themselves with that rash of penalties early in the second period. It all came down to goaltending and special teams play and the Stars had the edge in both areas.
If you haven't already, it's about time to write off the Kings. Their playoff hopes took another big hit with a 5-0 loss to the Sharks, who know sit in the seventh spot in the conference. San Jose is one point out of sixth place and three points out of fifth.
Jeff Bowerman of the Fort Worth Brahmas e-mailed me yesterday and asked me to pass this along. So here it is.
The Fort Worth Brahmas will be conducting an online auction of their 2005-2006 game worn home white jerseys. The online auction will take place on the Brahmas official team website, www.brahmas.com.
The Brahmas 2005-2006 home white jerseys are trimmed with purple, silver and black stripes on the sleeves. The shoulders of the jerseys are solid black bordered with a silver and purple stripes. On the front of the jersey, the crest is of the Brahmas new purple and silver bullhead logo. The back and sleeve jersey numbers are black with purple trim. The nameplates on the jerseys are in black lettering. All of the jerseys have a Baylor Medical Center patch on the front right chest.
There are 25 game worn jerseys with player nameplates in the auction. The starting bid for all of the jerseys is $100.00.
The online jersey auction will begin on Wednesday, April 5, at 12:00 noon. The auction will end on Wednesday, April 12 at 12:00 noon.
The E-bay style jersey auction is open to the public. To place a bid on a jersey, please go to the “Auction” page (http://brahmas.com/merchandise/auction) on the Brahmas team website. Create an Auction User Account, and then place a bid on the jersey (or jerseys) of your choice.
All winning bidders in the jersey auction will receive an e-mail from the Brahmas to coordinate payment and shipping of their jersey (or jerseys). All costs for the shipping and handling of the jerseys will be paid by the Brahmas.
07 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
Big wins for the Sharks and Flames last night. San Jose beat Colorado to move into eighth place in the West. They are tied with Vancouver in points but have two games in hand. The Flames beat Phoenix and are now five points ahead of the Avs for first place in the Northwest and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
The Predators lost again last night, falling 4-3 to Chicago. With a win tonight against the Stars, the Mighty Ducks can pull even with Nashville for the No. 4 seed. The Predators own the first tiebreaker, which is the number of wins.
Big game tonight between the Sharks and Kings tonight. The Kings can't afford any more losses. A win for the Sharks would be big since they would be taking maximum advantage of a game in hand.
There's still a couple weeks to go and a lot can happen, but it looks like Mike Modano's suggestion that San Jose, Edmonton or Vancouver will be the Stars' first round opponent is pretty much on target. Colorado is still in the mix as a possible opponent. I don't think, as things stand right now, Calgary, Nashville or Anaheim will drop to No. 7.
I'll be interested to see how the Stars play tonight. A lot of these guys got the last two days off, so I expect them to have some more jump than they have had recently. I may not have much jump though since it is another 9:30 pm start. God, how I hate these late games.
Big game for the Iowa Stars tomorrow night in Omaha. The two teams are tied for the final playoff spot in the West Division with seven games to go for each team. If you don't paying $6, the game will be available on the internet live tomorrow. Usually it is a one-camera shoot with the radio play-by-play. It's not the greatest quality, but it is a chance to watch some of the Stars top prospects in Iowa. I watch a lot of the games when they don't conflict with Dallas games. Here's a link: http://www.theahl.com/AHL/b2networks.html
06 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
Sharks game
The one positive out of last night's game was the play of Marty Turco. He was superb. That was one of his better games this season. Maybe his best. Two of those goals he gave up -- Ville Nieminen's breakaway and Joe Thornton's one-timer -- were perfect shots. The Patrick Marleau goal was just a nice play to catch the puck in midair and knock it into the net. Not much Turco could do about that one either. How Turco didn't end up being one of the official three stars of the game is beyond me.
As for the rest of the team, it wasn't pretty. They looked flat. Out of gas. Running on empty. Tired. Use whatever word or phrase you wish. It's a good thing they get a few days off between the games. They need it. The bad news is that they have to fly back out west for three games in four days this weekend. Then its' back home for a game against Columbus next Tuesday. That will be four games in six days with a lot of travel. Fortunately they'll get a few days off next week.
I am not going to read too much into this current funk. Over the course of a long season stretches like this are going to happen. Mix in the schedule and that this team has nothing to play for as far as the standings and that just about everybody they play has something at stake, and it all adds up to a team that is running on empty mentally and physically.
The third jersey's run has come to an end. I'm glad. My eight-year-old son, Nick, has been counting down the days. He's had the date April 3 on his calendar for months as the last time the Stars would wear what he calls the "Bull jersey," which he will tell you he hates. He wanted to know if they would throw them all in the trash.
That was a huge win for the Sharks, who gained some ground on Vancouver, which lost 1-0 to the Kings last night. San Jose is two points behind the Canucks with three games in hand.
Big game between Anaheim and Kings tonight. The Predators lost against last night and if the Mighty Ducks win they'll be within two points of Nashville for the No. 4 seed.
04 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
The injury thing
You can tell the Stars are getting into the playoff mode when the game notes for tonight's tilt against San Jose includes this tidbit: "C Mike Modano is day-to-day with an injury."
No specifics. Just an injury. Word has it that it is a sore knee. The Star-Telegram reports it was "scanned" and there were no problems found.
If this were a playoff game, Modano and Sergei Zubov's status for tonight's game would be huge. Right now, I am not overly concerned whether they play or not. If they need to sit another game, that's fine.
One game against San Jose in early April doesn't mean much. The Stars need to be thinking long term and that means not risking these guys for a regular season game that has little meaning for Dallas.
The Stars are locked in at the No. 2 seed. Their chances of catching Detroit continue to fade and they just need a few more points to wrap up the division and the second spot in the playoffs.
As the Stars move forward I think they should rest a few more players down the road. At the top of my list would be Jere Lehtinen and Jussi Jokinen. Both have played a lot of hockey due to the Olympics and, at least to me, both look like they could use a breather.
The Stars have a couple of stretches where they play three games in four nights here in next two weeks, including right at the end of the season.
There's a balance here. You don't want to tank going into the playoffs, but you need have your key players as healthy as possible. You also need some of your depth players ready to go as well. You just can't look at the record, but you have to consider the level of play.
For not having Modano, Zubov, Bill Guerin and Marty Turco in the lineup, I thought the Stars level of play in Los Angeles was pretty good. So, they lost the game. Big deal.
I am not too worried about the team's record down the stretch. It's not just about wins and losses. It's about being ready when the puck drops for Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal series against whomever.
The Stars' championship team of 1998-99 was 9-7-2 in the final 16 games of the regular season, got shutout twice and could manage only one goal five times. But they were ready when the playoffs opened. The 1999-00 team that went to the Finals was 7-6-4 over the last 17 games of the regular season. That team did pretty well in the playoffs too.
The playoffs are a long, brutal grind. Chances are there are going to be injuries to some key players. Those depth guys need to be ready to step up. While you are resting some players down the stretch it gives Dave Tippett a chance to put some players in key situations they haven't faced a lot during the season. Situations they may have to deal with and handle in the post-season.
Right now, I like what Tippett is doing. I hope he continues to manage his players well down the stretch and give some guys a break.
03 April '06 - - default| - § ¶
