The last time we saw the Wings, they blistered the Avalanche 8-2 in Game 4, completing a sweep of Colorado and booking their second trip the Western Conference Finals in as many years. Detroit earned a full week off before they resumed playing playoff hockey, but would the boys in red and white be rusty? Would that much time off help or hinder the Wings? How would Detroit look after having an extended amount of time off? Would they still be able to keep things rolling? Soundly, in Game 1, the Wings put all and any questions to rest.
Detroit blitzed Dallas 4-1 in Game of the Western Conference Finals to take a 1-0 series lead, thanks to four different scorers, three power play goals, and stingy defense. The Wings got goals from Brian Rafalski, Tomas Holmstrom, Valtteri Filppula, and Johan Franzen. Detroit’s first three goals came by way of the power play, and Filppula iced the game late in the second period, putting the Wings up 4-0 with under five minutes to play in the second period. Chris Osgood turned asided 20 shots to run his playoff record to 7-0 this season since relieving Dominik Hasek in Game 4 of the Nashville series.
While the Wings were relentless, the Stars appeared listless. While the Wings skated with easy and fury, the Stars seemed as if their skates were filled with cement. Maybe it was the fact that Dallas was coming off a four-overtime thriller that began Sunday night and ended early Monday morning. Maybe the Stars just didn’t, or couldn’t, find their legs to match Detroit’s speed. Whatever the reasons, whatever the factors, the Wings could smell blood early on. They pounced, they punished, they put the Stars behind the 8-ball early. Two goals in the first. Two more in the second, and a lockdown defensive effort in the third that left the Stars regrouping for Game 2.
Despite making 27 saves, Stars goalie Marty Turco lost for the eight time as a pro at Joe Louis Arena. His record now stands at 0-8-2 lifetime in Detroit. It took all of 4:28 for the JLA faithful to begin serenading Marty with chants of “Turrr-co, Turrr-co” that carried deep into the night. But this loss hardly falls on Turco’s broad shoulders. Had it not been for Turco, this one could of been much, much worse.
It just wouldn’t be a playoff game right now if Johan Franzen isn’t scoring. Franzen notched his 12th goal of the playoffs on a beautiful deflection that Turco had zero chance of stopping. Once again, Franzen finds himself in the record books alongside the illustrious Gordie Howe. Franzen has now scored in five straight games, tying the feat Howe accomplished in 1949 and 1964. Another famous Wing, Ted Lindsay, scored in five straight in 1952.
Along with Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom made life hell in front of the net for Turco, which is something the Stars are going to have to fix. There’s no easy solution for trying to clear out to six foot 200 plus pound net terrors. But unless Turco has a chance to see the puck, he won’t have much luck stopping the puck as long as 93 and 96 continue to set up shop in Turco’s kitchen.
What the Stars lacked in emotion and intensity, the Red Wings did not. But the Stars have been in two battles with Anaheim and San Jose to get to this point. Detroit should expect Dallas to come out lively and electric. The Wings better be prepared for fresh legs and tighter checking from the Stars. But Dallas better be prepared as well. Dallas shouldn’t expect wholesale changes to Detroit’s gameplan. The Wings will continue to pepper Turco with plenty of shots. They’ll continue their puck possession and minimize mistakes. Something the Stars must rectify in order to win Game 2.
