Ann 22008 NHL Playoffs - Western Conference Finals: Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars Game 6 REVIEW
May 20th 2008 19:18
Red Wings finally kill Stars with a convincing 4-1 victory.
It took them longer than expected, but the Detroit Red Wings finally managed to eliminate the Dallas Stars. Once again, the team which scored the first goal won the match. Detroit's opportunistic forwards made life easier for Chris Osgood and his defense by building a 4-0 lead.
In the game's preview, I said that Detroit knew only one way to play the game. Well, last night they proved me wrong by simplifying – to the point of dumbing down – their play. Instead of looking to setup people in front of the net like they usually do, the Wings simply threw the puck in Turco's direction, hoping for any deflection to put it in the net. Detroit's first and third goal were scored in that manner – Draper scored the first goal with his mouth, and Drake scored the third after Turco fumbled with the puck. The Datsyuk-Zetterberg duo also stuck in special teams situations – Datsyuk scoring on the powerplay while Zetterberg put in a shorthanded goal. The Wings led 3-0 at the end of the first period. There was, thus, plenty of time for the Stars to come back but Zetterberg's shorthanded goal really broke their tempo as they couldn't recover from that one.
The Stars managed to save face in the third period on the powerplay via Robidas. The goal temporarily gave them life but Osgood stood tall in front of Detroit's net. Left practically by himself towards the end of the third period, Osgood came big, stopping several shots, including making two stops in a row and clearing the rebound. The Wings goalie was on fire in the dying minutes of the game as the Stars couldn't put anything past him. The Stars' inability to score clearly showed a weakness in offense. Stop Modano, Ribeiro, and Morrow, and you've pretty much blanked their entire attack. Their GM should work on adding more skilled players to the lineup (Ryder/Hossa, anyone?).
So, it will be a Red Wings – Penguins Stanley Cup Finale. And TV commentators/analysts everywhere are drooling in anticipation. The confrontations starts on Saturday though, so expect to see more posts on UFAs/RFAs during the week.
It took them longer than expected, but the Detroit Red Wings finally managed to eliminate the Dallas Stars. Once again, the team which scored the first goal won the match. Detroit's opportunistic forwards made life easier for Chris Osgood and his defense by building a 4-0 lead.
In the game's preview, I said that Detroit knew only one way to play the game. Well, last night they proved me wrong by simplifying – to the point of dumbing down – their play. Instead of looking to setup people in front of the net like they usually do, the Wings simply threw the puck in Turco's direction, hoping for any deflection to put it in the net. Detroit's first and third goal were scored in that manner – Draper scored the first goal with his mouth, and Drake scored the third after Turco fumbled with the puck. The Datsyuk-Zetterberg duo also stuck in special teams situations – Datsyuk scoring on the powerplay while Zetterberg put in a shorthanded goal. The Wings led 3-0 at the end of the first period. There was, thus, plenty of time for the Stars to come back but Zetterberg's shorthanded goal really broke their tempo as they couldn't recover from that one.
The Stars managed to save face in the third period on the powerplay via Robidas. The goal temporarily gave them life but Osgood stood tall in front of Detroit's net. Left practically by himself towards the end of the third period, Osgood came big, stopping several shots, including making two stops in a row and clearing the rebound. The Wings goalie was on fire in the dying minutes of the game as the Stars couldn't put anything past him. The Stars' inability to score clearly showed a weakness in offense. Stop Modano, Ribeiro, and Morrow, and you've pretty much blanked their entire attack. Their GM should work on adding more skilled players to the lineup (Ryder/Hossa, anyone?).
So, it will be a Red Wings – Penguins Stanley Cup Finale. And TV commentators/analysts everywhere are drooling in anticipation. The confrontations starts on Saturday though, so expect to see more posts on UFAs/RFAs during the week.
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