For the first time in two years, the Dallas Stars won a game in which Marty Turco did not shut out the opposition. In doing so they served notice to the league that they are indisputable contenders, not pretenders.
So why does this Sharks' fan care enough to write about it? It helps that they are now poised to eliminate our chief nemesis, the Anaheim Ducks.
It is all the more significant because the player who could be counted on most in the playoffs, Sergei Zubov, is still nursing groin and foot injuries. Modano has had great playoff performances, but he has lost a step or two. Turco played great last year, but still has the "can't-win-in-the-playoffs" tag. Most of their other players have little playoff success in their careers.
Without Zubov, I predicted Dallas to have less chance of getting past the defending champion Ducks than Dave Tippett would to keep his job if they didn't. Buzz was Tippett had to get past the first round or start looking for work.
This was highly unfair, since in his tenure they have lost to a higher seed once and the team that won the West another time in the last three years. I thought the Stars management might see those as legitimate reasons rather than excuses.
Instead, they unexpectedly have every reason to demand a first round series win, up two games to none and headed back to Dallas. Oh, they did well against Anaheim this year, but the regular season is different. The Ducks had more grit, and are a different team since Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer came back from, ahem, retirement.
But the Stars have dominated when it matters most, outscoring Anaheim 9-2, at the Pond, where Anaheim has been tough to beat. Without their most reliable playoff performer. Wow!
Is this good for the rest of the West? After all, Dallas looks good and obviously will be a tough matchup in the second round if they finish this off.
However, it is not about one series for most teams, it is about winning the Cup. The fewer games you have to play against physical teams like the Flames and Ducks, the better. Maybe this means the Western Conference Champion will not be so worn down that they are vulnerable to the visibly inferior East.
Let the best team win...good for hockey!
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