Faceoff Factor

Red Wings vs Stars Series and Game 1 Preview

Andrew Chiappazzi | National Hockey League

May 8, 04:17 PM | Hype this story!

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Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Dallas Stars (5) Conference Finals Preview
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Marty Turco has worn the collar for some time now, perhaps a bit unfairly. “Never won a big game.” “Can’t get past the first round.” “Makes Stars fans miss Eddie the Eagle.”

Could one of the premiere goalies in hockey really be a playoff choker? Well, just like Marian Hossa has shed that label for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marty Turco chewed on the “playoff bust” label a few times and then spit it halfway across Texas.

Yes, Turco’s been impressive, but it’s symbolic of how the Stars have played all year long, and especially in these playoffs. They refuse to lose. No team wants to, but only a handful of teams are actually able to summon up something special when the time calls for it. Dallas does it. And outside of Turco, no one symbolizes that charge better than Brendan Morrow.

Late third period, game six, game tied and heading to overtime barring a miracle run by either team. Brendan Morrow streaked down the ice as San Jose gathered the puck in their own zone, knowing that a return trip to the Shark Tank for Game 7 would be a death sentence. He found his target and absolutely destroyed Milan Michalek. Double M never knew what hit him, and while the game continued until the 4th overtime, one thing was clear – barring a mental mistake, the Stars were going to grind and gut out a victory.

The Red Wings are a different beast. They can hit, they can score, they can shut you down, but really, they just want to make you run all over the ice. Puck possession is the best defense – the other team can’t score when you have the puck – and the Wings are the best in the world at it.

But here’s the main problem with the Wings – the big guns don’t hurt you. They get their points, sure. But then it’s guys like Johan Franzen, aka “The Mule”, walking off with game winners and clutch defensive stops. Franzen has scored 26 times in his last 26 games, including 11 red-lighters in the playoffs. On a team with names like Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datysuk, The Mule is the stubborn lead.

Is that enough to give the edge to the Wings? Let’s break it down…

Offense: Wings
Dallas has had some solid performances, especially from Mike Ribiero, but you can’t compete with the The Mule and the Big Three – Franzen + Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datysuk.

Defense: Tie
Dallas is a bit more physical and a bit more gritty, the Wings are a bit more of playmakers. There is no edge because the different styles work well, but they’re not the only factors either. Gritty Dallas can get points easily from Zubov and Robidas, while Lidstrom and even Rafalski can turn up the heat a bit defensively for Detroit.

Goaltending: Stars
Osgood has been, well, good, but Turco is on a mission. Never doubt a goalie looking to prove himself.

Power Play: Wings
Dallas has better numbers, Detroit has better players. Just like the Penguins power play, Detroit can load up so much that even though the numbers may not be there to start the series, it’s still frightening to think that they could be one PP goal from going on a tear. We’ll give Detroit the nod here for potential, but give kudos to Dallas for having the best PP numbers out of the 4 remaining teams.

Penalty Kill: Stars
They’re even statistically, but Dallas has done it against tougher competition. Anaheim and San Jose are more potent than a hobbled Colorado and an overachieving Nashville.

_Overall: _
It’s hard to pick against the Wings, but Dallas may have the intangibles that every analyst – and hockey coach – loves to see at this point in the season. The only question is whether the metaphysical and the mental can overcome the purely physical.

We’ll likely have the full 7 games to find out.

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Team Numbers
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Regular Season Standings
Detroit: 51-21-7; 115 pts; 1st Central; 1st Western; 1st NHL
Dallas: 45-30-7; 97 pts; 3rd Pacific; 5th Western; 8th NHL

Playoff Special Teams
Detroit: PP, 20.4% (9th); PK, 85.7% (4th)
Dallas: PP, 25.0% (2nd); PK, 85.7% (4th)

Playoff Scoring
Detroit: 3.80 GF/G (1st); 2.10 GA/G (3rd)
Dallas: 2.92 GF/G (5th); 2.00 GA/G (2nd)

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Playoff Player Leaders
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Goals
Detroit: Franzen (11), Zetterberg (7), Datysuk (5)
Dallas: Morrow (7); Lehtinen (4); Modano (4)

Assists
Detroit: Datysuk (8), Kronwall (8), Hudler (7)
Dallas: Ribeiro (11); Richards (9); Robidas (7)

Points
Detroit: Franzen (14), Datysuk (13), Zetterberg (13)
Dallas: Ribeiro (14); Morrow (11); Richards (11)

Penalty Minutes
Detroit: Holmstrom (10), Zetterberg (10), Lilja (8)
Dallas: Morrow (16); Daley (14); Modano (14)

Goalies
Detroit (Osgood): 6-0; 1.52 GAA; .937 Sv%
Dallas (Turco): 8-4; 1.73 GAA; .929 Sv%

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Injuries
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Detroit: Kirk Maltby (doubtful, hamstring); Tomas Kopecky (knee, IR)
Dallas: Stu Barnes, IR (Concussion); Phillipe Boucher, (Doubtful, hip)

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Series Schedule
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Thurs., May 8 – 7:30 p.m. at Detroit on VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Sat., May 10 – 7:00 p.m. at Detroit on VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Mon. May 12 – 8:00 p.m. at Dallas on VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Wed. May 14 – 8:00 p.m. at Dallas on VERSUS, CBC, RDS
~Sat, May 17 – 1:30 p.m. at Detroit on NBC, CBC, RDS
~Mon, May 19 – 8:00 p.m. at Dallas on VERSUS, CBC, RDS
~Wed, May 21 – 7:30 p.m. at Detroit on VERSUS, CBC, RDS

~if necessary