Dallas Stars fans were quiet last night for the first home game against the Detroit Red Wings at American Airlines Center.  The Dallas Stars have much to look forward to if they do not win this series.  The reasons for the Stars team to be proud are summed up in the words next year.  Here is why.

     Mike Ribeiro has proven himself on this Dallas Stars team.  He led the Stars with 83 points, he had 56 assists, and a fighters attitude.  He will be a star for the Stars and teams in the National Hockey League finally took notice of number 63. Mike Ribeiro has made the series against the Sharks in the second round and in the third round against the Wings exciting.  The intensity level he plays with will place the Stars to be contenders next year.

     Brad Richards has Stanley Cup experience and the ownership and management will be counting on the success he had with the Lightning to follow him to Dallas.  It has, there were alot of people who thought that Dallas would not be in the playoffs and certainly not in the Western Conference finals.  Brad Richards has the knack to find a way to win.  The Dallas Stars have reason to count on him and Ribeiro because they answered the question of can we?  Yes and the four overtime game versus the Sharks proves they can win and persevere against the best the NHL has to offer.  Last night there were chances for the Stars on offense and the powerplay, knowing when to capitalize will make the Stars even more dangerous.  It starts with the experienced Brad Richards.

          Brendan Morrow, captain for the Dallas Stars, had 32 goals in the regular season to lead the team in goals, and leadership that most teams in the NHL would like to have for the season and playoffs.  Brendan Morrow and his team took San Jose Sharks and displayed determination and drive to win.  This is something to be proud of and realize that next year we are going to even have that drive more.  When hockey players like Brendan Morrow want it even more the other teams in the NHL better take notice.  They have and they will next year.  Brendan Morrow is a star of the Stars and shooting the puck will get him to the next step to be taken in reaching the prize at the end.

     Stay positive fans.  From what has been seen on television the Dallas Stars are not that far from bringing the Cup to Dallas.  There are some questions for the Dallas team that will be resolved in the summer like will Mike Modano retire?  The question about Fabian Brunnstrom will be answered with the start of the 2009 season.  The fans of the Dallas Stars team that have been on Foxsports.com have been all class with Red Wings fans.  That is what makes the NHL the best.  So stay positive Stars fans next year will answer some questions for the team and the stars of the Dallas Stars will again have all the NHL taking notice.

Creating this series was a challenge, the obvious goal to take the National Hockey League and the players to the audience of bloggers who either watched hockey games with dad, or friends who had a favorite player in 1970-80 then did not watch a game after that.  Also to bring the other teams in the NHL to this blog.  If new fan is interested in a team and would like to know more  about their team represented here this series is for you.  Visit the National Hockey League website, it has news, rosters, and stats.  

    Mike Modano from Livonia, Michigan can do everything during the  game on the ice.  When the Dallas Stars were the Minnesota North Stars he started in Minnesota in the NHL and was an immediate star; his leadership was also noticed early in his career.  Then the move to Dallas, the Stanley Cup and his lock in the Hockey Hall of Fame is tightened every year he plays.  If ever there were a hockey movie made on the scale of the baseball movie, "The Natural" Mike Modano is the player you would create the movie around and the name fits the skill and talent of this player, he is older but that has not eroded his play and determination, in fact his danger level for scoring is just as dangerous 30 feet from the net as it is close to the keeper.

    Michael Cammalleri is a player to watch for the Kings he is a player on offense that will sneak around the boards, then skate to the edge of the net and wait for a pass, then put the puck in the net.  His one time shot--which means keep the sitck at knee or waist level and wait for the pass then immediately shoot the puck at the goal; is very accurate, he does not usually miss the net or the keeper.  Los Angeles Kings have a great defense with the return of Rob Blake and the emergence of Lubomir Visnovsky the Kings are set to take the Pacific coast and make their way to the playoffs.

  This is what the regular season is all about, all the injury and not admitting the hurt, playing through pain, getting more determined to do one thing, raise the best team trophy in all sport above your head, and Maritin St. Louis did that with the Tampa Bay Lightning.  He is a player who contributes to his team success and his stats do not sufffer.  His speed and accurate shot on the breakaway opportunity and in a 5 on 5 situation has made him one of the most feared players in all the National Hockey League and one would not  dispute his leadership and voice of reason in the lockerroom, even Captain Vincent Lecavalier listens.  He is respected by most in the league for his friendly demeanor after the game and competition are finished.  He is my sixth player in the NHL to watch, fear and respect.

Chicago Black Hawks bonus material.

This player is in the Hall of Fame, had the most powerful yet still accurate shots in the NHL and he won the Stanley Cup.  Bobby Hull.

  What a game last night.  This regular season game set the table for the type of game we will see in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.  The coaching was on top of everything last night; line changes, Mike Babcock and Dave Tippett, Dallas Stars head coach; made sure the emabarassing to many men on the ice calls did not happen.  Mentioning the calls; the refereeing, the linesmen and head official did not have to blow the whistle much.  No faceoffs occurred 10 minuutes of the first period.  The announcers for OLN (Outdoor Life Network) Mike Emerick and John Davidson kept saying that the game had a quick and well played tempo to it. The referrees were looking for the hook, slash and interference infractions last night and they did not have to whistle alot of players and send them to the penalty box. The players were professional last night. The game winged on with goaltending  reflexive skill in net, passing and quality scoring chances were prevalent to make fans clap.

  The first period was all Dallas Stars.  Puck possesion, defense, and making Manny Legace work for his check.  Jason Arnott scored the first goal of the game, sliding on the ice on his belly and he reached with his stick and scooped the puck  to put it past Manny.  The Dallas Stars had more chances and Manny Legace showcased his reflexes for twenty miniutes.

  The second period was more balanced and Marty Turco snared pucks out of the air with his glove hand.  Detroit Red Wings defenseman Cory Cross, not known for a mean streak and fighting attiude dropped the gloves last night against Steve Ott and won it.  Turning up the heat the Red Wings began to take the puck to Marty Turco and Dallas defense was being checked away from postion by Red Wings forwards.  The game was thrilling and fans in every section, row, and seat of "The Joe" stood and cheered as the second intermission began. 

  As Bud ####, the public address announcer for the Red Wings for over 50 years, when Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay played in Detroit announced the beginning of the third period the fans were eager and confident that the Wings players would step it up and deliver the puck on the front porch of Marty Turco.   The Red Wings began the third period with penetrating the neutral zone and eluding the stickchecks of the Dallas Stars. Nick Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, and Niklas Kronwall were delibarate and methodical in the first five minutes of the third period.  Then Niklas Kronwall shot from the blue line and the puck deflected off Johan Franzen putting  the puck past Marty Turco. Andreas Lilja, defenseman for Detroit, converted the passed puck from Henrik Zetterberg from the left face off circle for the second and tying goal.  And then with 44.3 seconds left in this exciting third period Tomas Holmstrom like a paper boy with deft skill knowing the paper will not land in the shrubs, put the puck in the net for the go ahead third goal in the third period.  Niklas Kronwall in a interview with Associated press said, " Our first two periods weren't really good.  And Dallas sat back in the third period and we came on."  That sums up this playoff type regular season game.  With the regular season ending for the Wings tonight against the Nashville Predators those readers who are NHL, Red Wings and other team fans are so ready as the players are for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs.  We say,  "Thank God the lockout is over."

Photo of Stanley Cup tour from the Red Wings 2002 win.  In Grand Rapids, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of Detroit Red Wings  the "Grand Rapids Griffins."