Bmwolf21 Posted May 7, 2008 Report Posted May 7, 2008 Western Conference Finals No. 1 Detroit Red Wings vs. No. 5 Dallas Stars Red Wings win series, 4-2 SERIES SCHEDULE Game 1: Thu., May 8 -- Detroit 4, Dallas 1 Game 2: Sat., May 10 -- Detroit 2, Dallas 1 Game 3: Mon., May 12 -- Detroit 5, Dallas 2 Game 4: Wed., May 14 -- Dallas 3, Detroit 1 Game 5: Sat., May 17 -- Dallas 2, Detroit 1 Game 6: Mon., May 19 -- Detroit 4, Dallas 1 Series Home Page @ NHL.com Series Preview @ NHL.com Players to Watch CRYSTAL BALL Detroit will win if -- The offense continues to click the way it did against the Colorado Avalanche. Should Johan Franzen have another series like the one he enjoyed in Round 2, he'll be one step closer to accepting the Conn Smythe Trophy next month. Franzen's freakish performance (11 goals in 10 games) has helped the Wings reach the conference final for the seventh time in 13 seasons. Detroit will also be counting on All-Star netminder Chris Osgood -- who replaced Dominik Hasek as the go-to guy in the middle of Round 1 -- to continue his solid play. The 35-year-old allowed just nine goals in four games against Colorado. Dallas will win if -- It can three-peat with another two victories on the road to start a series. By winning Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim and San Jose in the first two rounds, the Stars set themselves up quite nicely heading back home. While the Red Wings have enough firepower to erase a 2-0 deficit, they might suffer from shell shock if they were to drop the first two games of this series at Joe Louis Arena. The Stars will also need Marty Turco to continue his tremendous play between the pipes. Turco set a franchise record when he made 61 saves in the Stars' quadruple-overtime win over San Jose in Game 6. Besides Johan Franzen, Turco must also deal with the likes of stud forwards such as Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, so he'll certainly have his hands full against the Presidents' Trophy winners. FAST FACTS: * Not only did Brenden Morrow score the series-winning goal in the fourth OT of Game 6, he also had 19 hits and seven shots in 51 minutes of ice time. * Goalie Marty Turco has faced more than 30 shots in just three of Dallas' 12 games in the first two rounds and allowed more than two goals in just one game against the San Jose Sharks in the second round. * Detroit's 3.8 goals per game average in the playoffs is the highest in the League, and the Red Wings scored 12 goals in four games -- three wins -- against the Stars during the regular season. * Center Mike Modano had no points and a minus-5 rating in four games against the Red Wings during the regular season, but he is one of four Stars who has at least 10 points -- Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards are the others -- in the playoffs. * Left wing Henrik Zetterberg had five goals and four assists for nine points in Detroit's sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the last round, including the game-winning goal in Game 3 in Colorado.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Posted May 8, 2008 Time to get the Conference Finals going! Tonight: Game 1 @ Detroit; 7:30 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS I'll be switching back and forth between this and the Cavs-Celtics game on ESPN.
Hawerchuk Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 I want to see the Wings win it in controversial fashion. You know like skate in the crease style, No Goal. It would serve Dallas right - HA! How about a gm 7 and the Wings score while the net is dislodged, but the Toronto war room calls it a goal anyway, and Dallas goes berzerk while DET goes to the SC Finals!! Karma baby!
Buffalo Wings Posted May 9, 2008 Report Posted May 9, 2008 I want to see the Wings win it in controversial fashion. You know like skate in the crease style, No Goal. It would serve Dallas right - HA! How about a gm 7 and the Wings score while the net is dislodged, but the Toronto war room calls it a goal anyway, and Dallas goes berzerk while DET goes to the SC Finals!! Karma baby! It may not get to that point. Detroit looks too good right now.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 9, 2008 Author Report Posted May 9, 2008 Wow, did Max kidnap Riberio and take his place in the lineup? I haven't seen that many bad giveaways since the Sabres' season ended...
Hawerchuk Posted May 9, 2008 Report Posted May 9, 2008 It may not get to that point. Detroit looks too good right now. You're right, they drilled 'em tonight. OK, sweep their ass then. :thumbsup:
Hawerchuk Posted May 9, 2008 Report Posted May 9, 2008 Does anybody know why St?phane Robidas wears a wirecage mask? He had it on last series. Did he bust his jaw or something?
2ForTripping Posted May 9, 2008 Report Posted May 9, 2008 I believe he caugh a puck to the beak and broke his nose.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 9, 2008 Author Report Posted May 9, 2008 I believe he caugh a puck to the beak and broke his nose. Yeah it was in the Anaheim series...someone from Anaheim was clearing the puck from their own end and hit Robidas in the face around the blue line.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 10, 2008 Author Report Posted May 10, 2008 Today: Dallas at Detroit, Game 2 (Red Wings lead 1-0) 7 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS - Preview
stenbaro Posted May 10, 2008 Report Posted May 10, 2008 Today:Dallas at Detroit, Game 2 (Red Wings lead 1-0) 7 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS - Preview Many empty seats for a Conference Final....
Bmwolf21 Posted May 10, 2008 Author Report Posted May 10, 2008 No Franzen tonight...hmmm, wonder if it is really a concussion or if it's something else... Detroit forward Johan Franzen, the top goal-scorer in this year?s Stanley Cup Playoffs, didn?t dress for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas on Saturday night due to concussion-like symptoms. The Wings announced that Franzen would be scratched prior to the pre-game skate. They said he will not play until further testing and evaluation is completed. He will remain in Detroit to undergo testing on Monday, when Game 3 is scheduled to be played in Dallas.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 11, 2008 Author Report Posted May 11, 2008 Things got a little nasty at the final buzzer...I don't condone Riberio swinging his stick at Osgood, but the slo-mo replay shows Osgood sticking his butt-end into Riberio's face as he skates by (outside the crease.) Should make for an interesting Game 3 Monday night...
DaFan Posted May 11, 2008 Report Posted May 11, 2008 Things got a little nasty at the final buzzer...I don't condone Riberio swinging his stick at Osgood, but the slo-mo replay shows Osgood sticking his butt-end into Riberio's face as he skates by (outside the crease.) Should make for an interesting Game 3 Monday night... Osgood should have gotten a penalty for that as well as diving. It was more the obvious he embellished it.
rbochan Posted May 11, 2008 Report Posted May 11, 2008 Osgood should have gotten a penalty for that as well as diving. It was more the obvious he embellished it. Hell yes he should have. That was diving that would make Crosby go... "My Hero".
carpandean Posted May 11, 2008 Report Posted May 11, 2008 Things got a little nasty at the final buzzer...I don't condone Riberio swinging his stick at Osgood, but the slo-mo replay shows Osgood sticking his butt-end into Riberio's face as he skates by (outside the crease.) Should make for an interesting Game 3 Monday night... I would like to see the league toss them each a one game suspension. Nothing too big; just a reminder that that sort of thing won't be tolerated. It would probably hurt the Wings more, but Osgood was the initiator.
tom webster Posted May 11, 2008 Report Posted May 11, 2008 I would like to see the league toss them each a one game suspension. Nothing too big; just a reminder that that sort of thing won't be tolerated. It would probably hurt the Wings more, but Osgood was the initiator. Osgood definitely dove after getting hit, but while he got the stick up way too much, its a rather routine play for a goalie to try and run interference for his defensemen on a play like that
Bmwolf21 Posted May 11, 2008 Author Report Posted May 11, 2008 Osgood definitely dove after getting hit, but while he got the stick up way too much, its a rather routine play for a goalie to try and run interference for his defensemen on a play like that Routine or not, it's a BS play that could seriously hurt someone. He got the butt-end into Riberio's face. He could have easily run as much interference by skating out to the top corner of the crease, making Riberio take a longer route to the puck and Lidstrom.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Posted May 12, 2008 Today: Detroit at Dallas, Game 3 (Red Wings lead 2-0) 8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS - Preview No suspensions from the altercation at the end of Game 2, although Riberio and Osgood were both fined undisclosed amounts. They seem to disagree over whether Osgood was trying to hit Riberio in the face, so it will be interesting to see what happens tonight with both in the lineup. My guess? Not much - the NHL will crack down on both teams and warn them about fines and suspensions if anyone takes the law into their own hands. Damn killjoys...
SabresFan526 Posted May 13, 2008 Report Posted May 13, 2008 Today:Detroit at Dallas, Game 3 (Red Wings lead 2-0) 8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS - Preview No suspensions from the altercation at the end of Game 2, although Riberio and Osgood were both fined undisclosed amounts. They seem to disagree over whether Osgood was trying to hit Riberio in the face, so it will be interesting to see what happens tonight with both in the lineup. My guess? Not much - the NHL will crack down on both teams and warn them about fines and suspensions if anyone takes the law into their own hands. Damn killjoys... Anyone got a URL? I'm in a hotel that does not have Versus of course. Thanks.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Posted May 13, 2008 Anyone got a URL? I'm in a hotel that does not have Versus of course. Thanks. Sorry, that streaming video link that millbank usually posts is MIA right now...other than that I have no idea.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Posted May 13, 2008 And the Wings keep on rolling...this one might not go past four...
Doohicksie Posted May 13, 2008 Report Posted May 13, 2008 And the Wings keep on rolling...this one might not go past four... The local sports columnist here in Texas said that the miracle is not Dallas winning the series; the miracle would be if the Stars won even a single game against the Wings. There's a lot of grousing about the officiating and cheap hits, but it's sinking in that Detroit is the superior team. My sense was that if anyone could be Detroit it would be Dallas. Assuming Detroit closes it out, I fully expect them to win the finals. Playoff MVP has got to be Chris Osgood. The #2 goalie on the roster when the series started, they stuck him in when Hasek was just sucking bad and Ozzie righted the ship. You all know Hasek's bombastic personal style. Ozzie can be just as feisty on the ice, but in the locker room he brings a zen of calm control. He reminds me a lot of his mentor in 1997, Mike Vernon, who helped the Wings win the Cup that year. The student has become the master.
Bmwolf21 Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Posted May 14, 2008 Today: Detroit at Dallas, Game 4 (Detroit leads 3-0) 8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS - Preview
X. Benedict Posted May 14, 2008 Report Posted May 14, 2008 Today:Detroit at Dallas, Game 4 (Detroit leads 3-0) 8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, TSN, RDS - Preview The conference finals have been pretty disappointing in terms of entertainment.
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