Thank Your Lucky Stars

I’m not going to sit here and proclaim that after one victory, the Dallas Stars are back in the series with the Detroit Red Wings, but the Stars’ “stars” finally showed up.

I’d like to introduce Detroit fans to a few of the Dallas players that they had not seen in the first three games of this series.

Red Wings, I’d like you to meet my good friends Mike Modano, Brendan Morrow and Marty Turco – glad you could join us fellas!

I believe that prior to Game #4, Dalls Observer scribe Richie Witt said it best:

Admit it. The Stars are out of ideas, out of gas and out of the series.

Morrow hasn’t been a factor, Modano’s been a ghost, defenseman Matt Niskanen has coughed up a couple of costly gaffes and, most damaging, Turco has been average. When the Stars have needed him to stand on his head, he’s again fallen on his face against Detroit.

I’m certainly glad that Dallas decided to make an effort to win one game, otherwise my prediction that this series would go seven games would have looked foolish. At least if the Wings finish the Stars off in five games, I won’t have quite as much egg to wipe from my face.

Marty Turco has to be perfect for the Dallas Stars to have a chance at beating the Detroit Red Wings, that is no secret. However, Dallas is behind the 8-ball and it may be a case of too little too late for the fledgling Texas team.

Noteworthy News

• Team Switzerland forward Paul DiPietro, a former member of the Montreal Canadiens, has five points thus far at the 2008 World Championships.

• If you are looking for some great new hockey gear this summer, check out the best hockey stick reviews and hockey skate reviews on the internet.

• Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn could be cleared to play Game 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference final Thursday after a puck nearly hit his eye on Sunday.

• Sami Lepisto’s goal at 3:59 of overtime led Finland to a 3-2 victory over the United States in the world hockey quarterfinals. IN other news, Derek Roy exploded for three goals and added an assist to propel Canada past Norway 8-2 in the quarterfinals. Canada will face Sweden in the semifinals Friday in Quebec City.

• Scott Mellanby, who played more than 1,400 games with five NHL teams, has been hired as a consultant to rookie Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis.

• One win away from their first Stanley Cup final berth in 16 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins are far removed from Michel Therrien’s famous tirade just two and a half seasons ago. For those of you unfamiliar with Therrien’s remarks, let me refresh your memory:

“It’s a pathetic performance,” Therrien said in a post-game clip that ran all over North American television for days and weeks. “Half of the team doesn’t care. That defensive squad — I am really starting to believe their goal is to be the worst defensive squad in the league. They are doing such a great job to be the worst defensive squad in the league. They turn the puck over. They have no vision. They are soft. I have never seen a bunch of defencemen as soft as this…We should take 50 per cent of their salaries because they play only 50 per cent of the time.”

On that note…enjoy Game #4!