That snapping sound coming from Joe Lewis Arena Saturday was the Dallas Stars snapping a 10 game playoff losing streak in the building (since 1992), and Marty Turco breaking into the win column for the first time ever as a pro at the Joe.

After a rough start for Turco, losing the first 3 games in a row, he's back in stellar form and recorded his 2nd post season assist today in Detroit. He's also blocked 72 of the last 74 shots in the last 2 games, as the Stars have tightened up the series. Detroit now leads the series 3-2.

Turco is no stranger to the Joe, started his career at the University of Michigan, with whom he won 2 NCAA titles. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars, and went on to play for Michigan that fall. Turco earned many awards in his four years at Michigan, including Rookie of the Year in 1995, Tournament MVP in 1998, and nominations to the First All-Star team in 1997, the Second All-Star Team in 1998, and the All-Tournament Team in 1996 and 1998.

This win lifted a HUGE #### off his back!



"It was a gutty performance by my team to help me get over the schneid," Turco said. "This team hasn't made any excuses for what's gone wrong. We just weren't playing well, but now we're playing a lot better. This was a big game. It feels good, but it feels more good about the situation we were in and the ability that we were able to overcome it. We thought we were going to need at least one here, and now we need two."

After the Red Wings jumping out to a 3 games to none lead, Dallas is dictating the way the game should be played, at a pace in which the defensive-minded Stars can impose their will upon the flash-and-dash Wings. Doubt is setting in for the Wings. The failure to close brings on more doubt as the intensity increases by the game in Conference Finals.

Team captain Brenden Morrow said "We know the feeling. The doubt starts creeping in. We know how tough it's going to be for them in our building."

So congrats Marty Turco! I've got my Game 6 tickets in hand, and I should (hopefully) have fully regained my voice by the time the puck drops Monday night. I'm gradually getting it back from attending game 4 in Dallas.

This is the highest level of intensity witnessed in American Airlines Center, and it's approaching the games of lore played in Reunion Arena! Deja Vu all over again!

FSN SOUTHWEST TO REPLAY GAME 6 OF STARS-SHARKS
PLAYOFF SERIES IN CONDENSED FORMAT ON THURSDAY

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FSN Southwest will replay Game 6 of the Dallas Stars’ thrilling 2-1 Stanley Cup playoff victory over the San Jose Sharks in a two-hour condensed format on Thursday, May 8 at 11:00 a.m. CT as part of its LUNCH TIME series. The win, clinched on Brenden Morrow’s power-play goal 9:03 into the fourth overtime period early Monday morning, advanced the Stars to the Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals against Detroit.

The game, featuring Stars announcers Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh, will be condensed to showcase pivotal moments, dramatic plays and turning points in a sequential fast-paced form. Postgame interviews with key contributors also will be incorporated into the coverage.

The Dallas Stars have not reached the conference finals since 2000, when they beat San Jose on the way to their second straight Stanley Cup finals appearance. The Stars are very familiar with their division rival's "Shark Tank" ice. Mike Modano is quite comfortable there and refers to it as his "home away from home". The Sharks like to move the puck as a group, the Stars refer to their own style as moving in waves. Very similar style with both teams relying on SPEED.

This plays right into the Stars game for one very good reason - depth. Hagman's goal in the final period let all the air out of the overinflated Sharks. They finished the 3rd period as dead men skating. Hagman had 27 goals during the regular season. Antti Miettinen had 15. That's your fourth line. But mix in Brad Richards or Mike Modano with those guys, and you have a lot of punch.

At no time is this depth more apparent than the 3rd period. Dallas has outscored the defending Stanley Cup Champion Ducks and the San Jose Sharks - collectively - 16-5 in the third period. At the start of the 3rd period last night, San Jose led the Stars 2-1. Dallas finished off San Jose 5-2 Sunday night while handing the Sharks their first three-goal loss at home since mid-January.

It's still a far cry from over. Four years ago, in the Western Conference finals, the Sharks were down 2 games to none and went into Calgary and stole 2 games in a row. Just as the Stars are undefeated in their last 8 road games in the Shark Tank, San Jose won three of four games at the American Airlines Center in the regular season.

Daryl Reaugh, the television voice of the Stars said it best last night - that the Stars must now return to Dallas and "steal one at home".

The Dallas Stars, off to a disappointing start this season, fired general manager Doug Armstrong on November 13th 2007 and promoted Brett Hull and Les Jackson as co-GMs on an interim basis. Hull has garnished admiration from NHL playes throughout his career and retirement ruffling the feathers of many an NHL suit by being very vocal in his criticisms of Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner, and also the Versus Network, rival NHL broadcaster of NBC, for whom Hull is a part time analyst.

I've always admired owner Tom Hicks' penchant for maintaining a competitive and entertaining NHL team in Dallas (though one has to question severely his follies as owner of the Texas Rangers).

When the move was announced Hicks stated "As an owner I have to be responsible for one person in hockey operations and that is the general manager of the team.I thought that the team needed a change in direction. I know that change can be healthy and it was my determination that this move needed to be made.I want the Dallas Stars to return to being one of the elite teams in the league."

At the time of Armstrong's firing, the Stars were 7-7-3. Since the removal of Doug Armstrong, the Dallas Stars are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.

The verdict is in on the managerial change. Since that shake-up, the Stars have have won 15 games, lost 5, and recorded one overtime loss. They have moved from the division cellar to first place in the Pacific Division with an impressive 5 point lead over 2nd place San Jose.

This team is scoring goals the way contenders should, and having fun doing it! The latest game is a great example. The home win against Minnesota featured a four-goal third period and 14 players with at least one point in an 8-3 win over the defensively-minded Wild. That tied for the most goals allowed in Wild history.

That was the Stars' first eight-goal performance since 2005 (9-1 vs. Chicago when Stu Barnes had a hat trick) and was just their third game of eight goals or more since 1997.

Heading into third period, the Stars are 14-1-3 when leading after two periods.

I guess that as any Stars fan, I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that Modano isn't ageless. The second line of Ott-Modano-Halpern is exciting but having Morrow-Ribeiro-Miettinen on the first line is reminiscent of the days with Modano-Hull-Langenbrunner in 1999.

Led by Mike Ribeiro (having the best season of his career) and captain Brenden Morrow( isn't huge, but he isn't small either, and he plays bigger than he is), this Stars team is a legitimate 4 line team that is getting it done one way or another on any given night. Winning by either defense, offense, net-minding, power play or the shootout.

As for what happens in the playoffs, we'll deal with that when the time comes, but for now it's a GREAT time to be a Stars fan!

The Indianapolis Colts will host the (old school) Boston Patriots Sunday in what is billed as the latest "Game Of The Century" to come along in the first decade of the new millennium. These teams are rapidly evolving towards becoming the premiere rivalry in American sports, and Sunday's contest should prove to be one of the most watched regular season events of all-time in the television viewer ratings market.

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This match up takes on a much more Celtics / Lakers, Bird vs. Magic flavor. When you think back on that old basketball rivalry, it no longer really matters which side you were on, you had to admit that the games played were beautiful.Where would you rate the rivalry?? I rate it as knocking on the door of the best 5 rivalries in sports today.

My Greatest Rivalries Picks:

1. Ohio State/Michigan... The game has always been important, but it was not always the last game of the season. This practice began in 1935 and, except for one year, the tradition has continued. Often the game has determined who is the winner of the Big Ten and who will represent the conference in the Rose Bowl. Hands down this rivalry is the greatest of all time.
2. Duke vs North Carolina... The UNC-Duke rivalry, sometimes referred to as The Battle of Tobacco Road or The Battle of the Blues, is the most intense rivalry in all of basketball at any level. The intensity of the rivalry is heightened by the proximity of the two universities, located just eight miles apart. Battling it out at least twice a year since 1920, Duke and North Carolina routinely rank among the nation's best basketball teams.
3. Auburn vs Alabama... Other states boast great traditional rivalries … games such as Texas-Texas A&M, Georgia-Georgia Tech, USC-UCLA and Florida-Florida State … but the Iron Bowl seems to generate a passion like no other. This game literally stops the State. In a state that has had a century-old love affair with college football, this one, 60 minutes of football determines bragging rights in Alabama for the next 364 days. The losers have only "next year" to cling to because the scores of other games during the season really do not matter.
4. Redskins vs Cowboys... The most storied rivalry in professional sports began before the Cowboys were even conceived. In 1958, George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins, was eager to sell the team. Texas oil tycoon Clint Murchison was having a hard time bringing an NFL team to Dallas. He tried buying the Redskins. Just as the sale was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms. Murchison was outraged and canceled the whole deal.

   Around this time, Marshall had a falling out with the Redskin band director Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music to the beloved Redskin Fight Song, now a staple at the stadium; additionally, Marshall's wife wrote the lyrics to the song. Breeskin wanted revenge after the failed negotiations with Marshall. He approached Murchison and sold the rights for $2,500. When Murchison tried to create his own team Marshall was the only owner to vote against it. Murchison held the rights to the Skins' fight song hostage until Marshall conceded. The two clubs have won 31 combined division titles and ten World Championships, including eight combined Super Bowls.

5. Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs... The oldest and most bitter rivalry in the history of the NHL. From 1944 to 1978, the two teams met each other in the playoffs 12 times, and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals. While the on-ice competition is fierce, the Maple Leafs-Habs rivalry is actually symbolic of a much deeper cleavage in Canadian history and society — that between English- and French-Canadians.

6. Colts vs. Patriots... Now that the two are meeting in yet another AFC playoff caliber game, the time has come to classify what might be the best current rivalry in the NFL. The history of Patriots vs. Colts will take a clear cut direction following Sunday's clash of the undefeated. The Patriots and Colts will face off for the eighth time since 2003 and for the 71st time in the history of the franchises. The clubs have clashed in each of the last four regular seasons (2003-06) and also faced each other in the playoffs following the 2003, 2004 and 2006 seasons. The two teams share a longtime rivalry, as the Patriots and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts played twice each year from 1970 to 2001 as members of the AFC East, with the exception of the 1982 strike season. New England has had more success against the Colts than any other team in the AFC, with the Patriots' .614 winning percentage ranking as their highest against any AFC team they have played more than 10 times.
   
   

Where would you rate the rivalry??