Wings' win Game 1 with dominant puck control
by KEVIN GREENSTEIN, Inside Hockey
2008 NHL playoffs
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Thursday's action
Analysis
- Spector: Flyers, Stars need toughness
- TPSH: San Jose's coaching blame game
- Puck Podcast: Playoff preview
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From there, the talent kicked in. With Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski backing the Wings' lethal power play — and with Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen tirelessly crashing the Stars' crease — Marty Turco had no chance. One point-blank shot from Rafalski on a 5-on-3 advantage and two power play tip-ins by Franzen and Holmstrom gave the Wings a commanding 3-0 lead. When Valtteri Filppula split the seam and broke in alone on Turco to put Detroit up 4-0, the game was effectively over.
Why the Stars lost: Giving the Wings seven power plays (including two 5-on-3 opportunities) certainly didn't help. Neither did the Stars' concerning propensity to give the puck away. But the biggest problem for Dallas was their inability to generate high-quality scoring chances against Chris Osgood. In four power play opportunities, only five Stars shots reached the net, a trend that absolutely must change if Dallas is to have a prayer against their tremendously skilled opponent.
Key moment: Just over four minutes into the game, with Mattias Norstom already in the penalty box, Mark Fistric took a foolish roughing penalty, giving Detroit a 5-on-3 edge. Nine seconds later, Rafalski scored the series-opening goal, sending the Joe Louis Arena crowd into a frenzy of excitement. From that point forward, the Wings controlled the pace of play and maintained all of the positive momentum.
What's next: For the Wings, more of the same excellence. For the Stars, better play around the net when shorthanded. None of the four Wings goals were remotely Turco's fault, so there's no reason for the Stars to lose confidence in him. Instead, they need to do a better job of keeping his crease clear — on all three power play goals, he was completely screened. If Holmstrom and Franzen remain able to easily lay claim to the Stars' most vulnerable real estate, this series will end in the Wings' favor in four easy games.
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