Wings vs Stars Game 2 Preview

Andrew Chiappazzi | National Hockey League

May 10, 12:14 AM | Hype this story!
 

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Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Dallas Stars (5) Game 2 Preview
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Series Score: Penguins 0 – Flyers 0
Game Time: 7:30 EST
Location: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh
Television: Versus, CBC, TSN

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If Detroit goes on to win the Western Conference and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, they might want to send a fruit basket to San Jose. The Sharks won’t feel any better about getting booted by Dallas in the second round, but they may be the culprit for a quick exit by the Stars.

Detroit outworked, outskated, outshot, outhit, and just plain outed a tired and lethargic Stars team that managed just 20 shots on goal and allowed several key turnovers.

The puck-hog Red Wings, playing in front of a sold-out but not exactly fully-attended arena in Motown, played the game that has sucked the life out of Hockey Town, USA, even if it’s given them the best record in the NHL.

Don Cherry was on ESPN and said that while he loves the people in Detroit, the Red Wings’ style of play isn’t exactly an exciting one – save for 8-2 series clinching wins like the one over Colorado – and that the Wings need to adopt a blue collar game to fit their clientele.

Maybe, but you have to figure winning would count for something. They know how to do that. Johan “Not Only Do They Call Me The Mule, But I Look Like One Too” Franzen scored yet again – on only one shot, helping him earn a two goal cushion over Sergei Federov for most goals in a playoff season in Wings history. Franzen, though, was signed out of Sweden as a checking line center, and while he’s manning the 2nd line now, he has done something that no person in the NHL thought he’d do…

The Mule is more potent than the Holy #@!& Line of Holmstrom, Datysuk, and Zetterberg.

With two lines rolling, plus a solid checking group behind them and the best puck-movers in the league, Detroit was going to be tough to stop before Dallas came out and looked like they had been drinking Ziegenbock’s on the flight up from Texas.

One thing is certain. While Detroit is incredibly talented, anyone can win when the other team doesn’t have their legs under them. Dallas may not win Game Two, but it has to be a closer game. They have to show that they can keep up with the Wings. Otherwise, when they go back to Dallas for Games 3 and 4, they will need something extraordinary to get this series to go longer than 4 or 5.

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

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