Stars vs Wings: Game 3 Preview

Andrew Chiappazzi | National Hockey League

May 12, 01:16 AM | Hype this story!
 

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Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Dallas Stars (5) Game 3 Preview
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Series Score: Wings 2 – Stars 0
Game Time: 8:00 EST
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Television: Versus, CBC, TSN

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Maybe we’re spoiled in the East. Maybe we look at the intensity of the Flyers-Penguins series, the verbal sparring and the physical play, the mind-games and the warring cities, and we believe all conference finals should be like this.

Maybe we are. Maybe we aren’t. Either way, the “B” series in these 2008 Stanley Cup Conference Finals has moved up at least to 1B on the fight card. You can thank Mike Ribiero and Chris Osgood for that, as their collective antics not only energized the series followers and the NHL, but also lessened the weight in the pockets of Osgood and Ribiero.

Osgood clipped Ribiero in the face late in the game, and the Stars center responded with a two-hander to the Winged-Wheel on the front of Osgood’s jersey. It was the center-point in a suddenly intense Game 2, and while Osgood says the incident won’t carry over and that cooler-heads will prevail, common sense says it won’t.

At the least, the Stars can use it as motivation. After being blown out in Game 1, the Stars were able to ratchet the contest down to a 2-1 loss. Of course, it helped that the Red Wings were without Johan Franzen, who has been dealing with concussion like symptoms for much of the playoffs. Coach Mike Babcock has already said that the woozy Mule won’t play in Game 3. Considering the series is shifting to the energetic American Airlines Center, the Red Wings will need to be on the lookout for a blitz from the Stars.

The last time the Stars played at home was the marathon win versus the Sharks.

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Injuries
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Detroit: Tomas Kopecky (knee, IR); Johan Franzen (concussion, out)
Dallas: Stu Barnes, IR (Concussion); Phillipe Boucher, (Doubtful, hip); Jere Lehtinen (leg, doubtful)

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