Posted by
billy on 05/12/2008 - 01:57 PM
If hate makes for a good playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars have something to build on tonight.
The Stars host the Red Wings in Game 3 tonight and you can catch all the action live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Detroit leads the series 2-0.
The frustrations of the Dallas players spilled over with five seconds remaining in Game 2 as Stars' agitator Steve Ott got into an altercation with Kris Draper of the Red Wings. Ott received a minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
Then as the buzzer sounded, Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood stuck the butt-end of his stick out as Stars' centre Mike Ribeiro skated by the Detroit net. Ribeiro retaliated with a slash to Osgood's chest, causing the goaltender to crumpled to the ice. He received some attention from the training staff and left the ice under his own power.
"Even if I did butt-end him, I mean it was an accident, I don't think that justifies a two-hander over top of the net," said Osgood after Game 2. "He could have gone about it a different way or said something to me."
Ribeiro tried to explain his actions after Game 2.
"He clipped me in the face. If he doesn't do that, I don't think I react and I have no reason to do what I did, Ribeiro said. "It's a little bit of frustration and emotion in the game but I think what he did was more dangerous than what I did."
Ribeiro was handed a match penalty for attempt to injure, which carries with it an automatic review by NHL officials. After the league spoke with all parties involved, Ott, Ribeiro and Osgood were all fined for their actions but no suspensions were handed down.
The Stars now come home facing a 2-0 deficit after winning their first two games on the road in the first two rounds.
"This is a fine line we're walking here," said Stars' head coach Dave Tippett. "For us to win, we have to have a lot of things go right for us. Some of those opportunities we get, we have to find a way to capitalize."
Teams coming home trailing 2-0 in the Conference Finals have gone on to lose 89% of the time so the Stars face a tough task winning four of the next five games against the defending President's Trophy Red Wings.
On the injury front, Red Wings' leading playoff scorer Johan Franzen is expected to miss tonight's game as he undergoes tests for concussion-like symptoms. For the Stars, Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms) and Philippe Boucher (hip) are likely out while winger Jere Lehtinen (leg) is questionable and will be a game-time decision. However, he did not skate with the team Monday morning.
When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Detroit Red Wings have a 24-6 series record with a five-series winning streak, and a Game 3 record of 16-14.
Henrik Zetterberg has six goals and six assists during a seven game point streak.
The Red Wings have tied a team playoff record with eight straight wins, which they also accomplished in 1952 and 1995.
Files from TSN's Farhan Lalji were used in this report.
Posted by billy on 05/12/2008 - 01:57 PMIf hate makes for a good playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars have something to build on tonight.