In a possible Stanley Cup Finals preview, the current best team in the West took on the current best team in the East (and the league). The Stars trailed most of the game, scored 2 goals in 41 seconds to tie in the 2d, then watched the Sens’ Martin Havlat notch a hat trick with his 3d of the evening just moments later.
The Stars didn’t knuckle under, however, coming back to tie it at 3 all, and Bill Guerin put Dallas up with 5:24 left in the 3d. With 30-something seconds left, Modano added an empty netter to seal the deal. Dallas is now 11-1-3 in their last 15 as the race for playoff position slowly begins to heat up. The Stars are now within one point of Ottawa in the President’s Trophy race.
Horrendous officiating, especially by the linesmen, on both sides of the puck. What else is new in today’s Mr. Magoo NHL?
Great game, and if both teams survive through the playoffs, what a Stanley Cup series this is going to be.
posted on January 27, 2003 9:56 PMI dunno if Ottawa's going to make the finals - no matter how good their regular season, they always croak when they make the playoffs. Seems like the common excuse is they just aren't tough enough - they can finesse their way around teams when they play once in a while, but in a 4-7 game series, the pounding they take wears them down.
I went to my one Bruins' game of the year last weekend and saw Jeff Hackett's first game in Boston. They looked good -- best I've seen them play in a while. If they can keep up that level, they might go far this year.
Of course, you have to take what I say with a grain of salt - if I give up on the Bruins, I'll have to wait till baseball season to pick up another hopeless cause :)
Posted by: Eric at January 27, 2003 10:17 PM