Sunday, April 13, 2008

Dallas Stars 5, Anaheim Ducks 2

By Mark Stepneski of Andrew's Stars Page

When it came to dominating teams on the scoreboard the second period was where the Dallas Stars made their mark during the regular season. In Anaheim Saturday night the third period is where they separated themselves from the Ducks. Mike Modano's power play goal 5:47 into the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and the Stars added to two more goals to beat the Ducks 5-2 and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference Quarterfinals series.

"I said from the start that it would be good to start on the road in a hostile environment and dig in together," Modano said. "We are focusing now on Tuesday, and it is huge to work this hard and head home up 2-0."

Said Stars coach Dave Tippett: "Our mind-set wasn't on a split. We won the first one, we had the same mind-set for the second one."

Games 3 will be Tuesday in Dallas.

"We have to realize that we still have life and two days here to regroup," said Anaheim defenseman Scott Niedermayer. "Maybe that will be good. We’ll get on the road, have a little change of scenery and go from there."

Once again the Stars' special teams came up big. The power play, which cashed in four times in Game 1, scored twice Saturday night and the penalty kill stopped three straight Anaheim power plays - one late in the second and two early in the third - with the game tied at 2-2. Modano's game-winner immediately followed those key kills.

"Being able to kill those off says a lot about our team," said Modano. "And then to come back with a power play goal was a big change in momentum and really got us going. It was a big turn around there."

Mike Ribeiro, who also had two assists, Jere Lehtinen, Modano, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson all scored goals for the Stars. Stephane Robidas and Joel Lundqvist both had two assists. Marty Turco stopped 20 of 22 shots.

The Ducks, trying to defend their Stanley Cup title, rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game and looked to be in good shape going into the third period.

"We were down 2-0 and we battled hard and came back," said Anaheim goalie J-SGiguere. "I thought we were doing a good job and it was looking good for the third period. As soon as they scored that third goal on the power play after we had two power plays, I guess it just collapsed us. It's just unacceptable."

After the Stars finished that sequence of penalty kills early in the third period, Ducks forward Bobby Ryan took a hooking penalty, and 41 seconds later the Stars took the lead for good. Modano launched a blast from just inside the blueline that beat Giguere, who was screened by Stars forward Niklas Hagman.

Just 55 seconds after the Modano goal Stars scored again when Eriksson set up Richards on an odd-man rush and Richards beat Giguere with a wrist shot from the right circle at 6:42 of the third to make it a 4-2 game. Lundqvist set up Eriksson, who scored from close range at 14:32 to round out the Stars third period goal scoring surge.

"It was a great [period]," said Turco. "It was one that was intense and great to see us come out on top and convincingly in that period."

The Stars who capitalized on four power play chances in Game 1, took advantage of an Anaheim turnover to take a 1-0 lead early in the game. Ribeiro picked off a pass by Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin at the Anaheim blueline, got a breakaway and beat Jean-Sebastien Giguere with a backhand shot at 6:28 of the period.

Turco came with a big stop late in the period, stopping Teemu Selanne's point blank shot with 22 seconds to keep the Stars up 1-0 heading into the first intermission.

The Stars extended their lead to 2-0 with a power play goal 1:28 into the second. After Robidas put a shot on net from the point, Giguere couldn't control the rebound and Lehtinen got the puck and put into the net for his second goal of the playoffs.

But the Ducks bounced back a little more than two minutes later with a power play goal of their own. Selanne was able tip a Scott Niedermayer shot into the net at 3:41 of the second, ending Turco's shutout streak in the series at 83:41.

The Stars had another chance to extend their lead with a power play chance but the Ducks killed it off, Todd Bertuzzi came out the box and set up Travis Moen, who slipped the puck past Turco at 16:19 of the period to tie the game at 2-2.

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