The Dallas Stars match-up with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Stars are the number five seed in the Western Conference while the Ducks are the number four seed. The series will start in Anaheim and be a best of seven games series, played in a 2-2-1-1-1- format.
The Stars won the regular season series 5-3.
Stars coach Dave Tippett expects to have Mike Ribeiro (flu) and Jere Lehtinen (flu) back. Steve Ott had the flu Friday and returned to play in Sunday's game. But, can they recover from the loss of Sergei Zubov to injury?
The Stars enter this series with questions at goalie as well. Can Marty Turco win big in the playoffs? Can he steal one along the way?
One and done is becoming an all-too-familiar phrase for Marty Turco and the Stars. From 2002 to 2007, Turco ranked in the top 10 in goals-against average and save percentage four times. In three of those four seasons, the Stars were booted from the postseason in the first round.
Only in the 2006-07 postseason did Turco rise to the level of his regular-season play. But despite three shutout wins, the Stars were outscored by the Vancouver Canucks, 13-12.
Ultimately, the Stars need more than great numbers from Turco. They need a first-round victory.
After two big wins in a three-day period in California, the Dallas Stars can truly say they love S.J.,. Krys Barch scored his first NHL goal, fellow rookie Joel Lundqvist had a goal and an assist, and the Stars overcame yet another injury to post an impressive 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night February 1st at HP Pavilion. The win completed the short two-game miniseries sweep in San Jose and moved Dallas to within three points of the second-place Sharks in the Pacific Division. The Stars were also three points behind San Jose for fifth place in the Western Conference. Dallas stunned the Sharks with a come-from-behind 3-2 shootout win on Tuesday January 30th.
In what is becoming a regular occurrence this season, the Dallas Stars rebounded from a two-goal first period deficit to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Tuesday night February, 6th at the American Airlines Center. In Dave Tippett's 300th game as a head coach with the Stars, their power play unit connected for two goals on five attempts, and four different players found the back of the net for Dallas. Philippe Boucher, Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov and Stu Barnes each scored goals, with Zubov snapping a 2-2 tie with just 4:41 remaining in the third period. "We have to score by committee, it's good to see different guys getting on the board," Tippett said. "If we get four, we're usually going to get the win."
Dallas Stars rookie goaltender Mike Smith doesn't quite remember the last goal scored against him, although that is probably more due to the fact that it came after he was hit in the face mask with a shot and suffered a concussion that caused him to miss six games. A clear-headed Smith made his first start in over a month and stopped 32 saves to shut out the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, leading the Stars to a 1-0 victory Saturday afternoon February the 10th at the American Airlines Center. It was Smith's third whitewash of the season, coming in his first start since that Jan. 4 game in Edmonton that he left after two periods due to injury. After relieving Marty Turco in the first period of the Tuesday February 6th 4-2 win over Minnesota, Smith stopped 47 consecutive shots on the Dallas net. The win gave the Stars a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 and pulled them to within six points of Anaheim for the division lead, and to within three points of San Jose for second in the division and fifth in the Western Conference.
Who said the Dallas Stars can't score? Jeff Halpern had a goal and two assists, Jere Lehtinen and Philippe Boucher each added a goal and an assist, and the Stars scored a season-high seven goals in an electrifying 7-5 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon February 11th at American Airlines Center before a national television audience. Trevor Daley, Stu Barnes, Niklas Hagman and Joel Lundqvist also scored for a surging Stars team that came into the game with the fifth fewest goals scored in the league. Dallas won its third straight, and eighth of its last 11. The Stars also beat Colorado for the seventh straight time, sending the Avalanche to their sixth loss in their last eight games.
The San Jose Sharks were just the tonic Marty Turco needed to get back on track. The Dallas Stars, behind goaltender Turco's 17 saves and two goals from Mike Ribeiro, defeated the Sharks 5-2 Sunday afternoon february 18th at the American Airlines Center to pull to within one point of San Jose for second in the Pacific Division and fifth in the Western Conference standings. "Teams are pushing behind us and we're pushing ahead of us," Ribeiro said. "It's important to keep pushing to go up in the standings and work for it. I think we played more of the game with the puck than without the puck.
If they can play like this down the stretch and into the playoffs, the other teams in the Western Conference better start to worry about the Dallas Stars. In one of their most dominating and complete efforts this season, the Stars delivered an impressive performance in defeating the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks 4-1 Friday night February 23rd at the American Airlines Center. The victory pulled the Stars to within five points of the Ducks, the West's second seed, and to within three of San Jose for second in the Pacific and fifth in the Western Conference and showed that they could match up well with the NHL's best. The fact that the Stars hold two games in hand on Anaheim provides them the opportunity to get even closer if they can win those extra games. The Stars were 10-4-1 in their last 15 and 7-1-1 in their last nine at the American Airlines Center.
For 59 and a half minutes of regulation, it seemed as if the Dallas Stars would be victimized by a hot goaltender, but fortunately for the Dallas Stars, regulation is 60 minutes. Philippe Boucher finally beat Vancouver All-Star Roberto Luongo with just 28.3 seconds left in the third period and then Jere Lehtinen scored in overtime as the Stars defeated the Canucks 2-1 in overtime Sunday afternoon February 25th at the American Airlines Center. With two power play goals against the NHL's top-ranked penalty-killing unit, including one with goaltender Marty Turco on the bench for an extra attacker, the Stars came back in dramatic fashion to walk away with an improbable two points. In an important Western Conference matchup that was a possible preview of a first-round playoff series, the Stars came back to defeat the Northwest Division leaders who were one of the hottest teams in the NHL, riding a six-game winning streak. "If we face them in the playoffs with the goaltending they have and the goaltending we have, you will see a lot of games like that," Boucher said after the fourth 2-1 game between the two clubs this season.
While waiting for one new player to arrive, the Dallas Stars received a major contribution from a newbie already on board. Hours after general manager Doug Armstrong plucked solid defenseman and Los Angeles Kings captain Mattias Norstrom in a trade deadline deal, another recent trade acquisition, Ladislav Nagy, scored 95 seconds into overtime to lift Dallas to a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at the St. Pete Times Forum. Nagy, picked up from Phoenix in an exchange 14 days ago, scored his second goal in his sixth game as a Star to put Dallas into sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division. They are now five points behind first place Anaheim, and the fifth seed in the Western Conference. It was the second consecutive win for Dallas in the extra session.
Despite persistent injuries, the Dallas Stars improved from a 7-7 November to a 9-6 December. The team has found ways to win while implementing new player strategy. As the Stars depart for their second trip to Western Canada, Coach Dave Tippett's squad will once again rely on solid team play to get the job done. Dallas takes on teams in the extremely tight Northwest Division beginning with Vancouver tonight and Edmonton on Thursday. The Stars then face Calgary on Saturday.
Tonight's game marks the opener of a four-game homestand for the Canucks, who have scored 20 goals during a five-game win streak at GM Place. Vancouver hasn't won five straight since a six-game run from Oct. 14-25, 2005, but extending their current streak won't be easy with Marty Turco in net for Dallas Turco has been brilliant in his career against the Canucks, going 12-2-0 with two shutout wins and a 1.69 goals-against average. He has allowed five goals during a personal four-game win streak against Vancouver. Nevertheless, the surging Canucks look to post a rare victory against Turco and the Stars.
What are Turco's thoughts on this roadtrip? "It will be a cold whirlwind, as we travel through and play in three great Canadian cities against three great Canadian teams." The Stars could meet the Northwest Division leader three times in the three games in the tough division. The Canucks are one point behind Northwest Division-leading Minnesota and one ahead of the third-place Flames. All five teams in the division are separated by four points.
Vancouver has proven its dominance over Alberta's two teams during a season-high four-game win streak. Tonight's test should be even more difficult. Facing division rivals four times in the span of a week is a difficult assignment, but the Canucks (21-18-1) emerged from that stretch with four impressive wins. ``I think we've been playing pretty solid hockey lately and everyone's stepping up,'' left wing Alex Burrows told the Canucks Web site. ``We've been playing solid in the first period and that's been the key.''
Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who were taken second and third by the Canucks in the 1999 draft behind Stars forward Patrik Stefan, are having breakout seasons. The Stars have to find a way to stop their line if they are to win tonight's contest. Daniel has six goals and three assists in the last four games. Henrik has one goal and six assists in that span. The Stars and Canucks have split two games this season with each side winning 2-1.
Dallas will also need help from their bench as Mike Modano and Eric Lindross are not able to make the trip. Modano is out with an injury to the groin and hip while Lindross is out with rib injuries. ``We've battled more adversity than we ever did last year,'' Tippett said. ``I think that will make us better in the long run.''
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