Dallas Stars

Game 1: As expected

May 9th, 2008 by Brad

That, anyone who watches hockey will tell you, is what was expected from the Stars and Red Wings.

Some will say that the Stars have a game 6 hangover…physically, emotionally… whatever. Don’t buy that. Some will blame Marty Turco for not getting a win when his team scored only one goal for him, and never had the puck. That has no place in an intelligent conversation. Some will blame the officials for not letting the teams play. I don’t.

No, I think it’s pretty clear that in the NHL, there is everyone else, and then there are the Red Wings.

The Stars have gone through their division foes by playing opportunistic, patient hockey. They waited for the Ducks and Sharks to make mistakes. Well, what do you do if your opponent doesn’t make any mistakes? Detroit played a perfect game, and the Stars just looked completely lost. The Red Wings game plan was perfect, but that’s not the Stars real problem.

Their real problem, is that they just can’t compete with the Wings skill, size, smarts and speed. The Stars couldn’t even dump the puck in because the Wings players are so talented that they just knock the puck out of mid air in the neutral zone and start advancing it the other way. It looked like men vs boys out there. The face off disparity played a big role. They can’t match the Wings speed or athleticism. They are just completely outclassed. I thought the Wings might score during a line change last night. Everything they did looked dangerous.

The rookie defense of the Stars has no chance whatsoever vs the likes of Franzen and Holmstrom. Trevor Daley looks like a little kid trying to push over a school bus against them. Marty Turco stopped every shot he could actually see last night but one, and it didn’t matter at that point. If the Stars can’t move the Wings out of Marty’s kitchen, they have no chance. You cannot ask your goaltender to stop shots he can’t see, and only give him only one goal in support.

I’m glad we’re here. Two winning hand shakes on home ice this season is a lot better than anyone had dreamed of in October, but the ride is coming to a grinding, violent halt.

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