Wings Swarm Stars' Turco for 4-1 Win in Game 1
Posted on: Friday, 9 May 2008, 06:00 CDT
By Kevin Allen
DETROIT -- Although Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco knows how skilled the Detroit Red Wings can be with the puck on their stick, he certainly didn't see it Thursday.
With Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen turning the front of the Dallas net into their personal parking space, the Red Wings screened Turco for three power-play goals en route to a 4-1 win against the Stars in Game1 of the Western Conference finals.
"Anytime you have a great goalie against, you have to get bodies in front to score," Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "If he sees the puck, you aren't going to score."
The Red Wings have won seven consecutive playoff games and will take a 1-0 lead into Saturday's Game2 of the best-of-seven series.
Turco came into the series as perhaps the NHL hottest playoff goalie, but the Red Wings built a 3-0 lead against him on goals that depended greatly on traffic in front. Defenseman Brian Rafalski scored the first goal, on a five-on-three power play, with Holmstrom serving as a screen.
Standing in front, Franzen scored the second goal on a deflection of Kronwall's shot from the point. And Turco thought he was interfered with on the third goal when Holmstrom, obstructing Turco's view, deflected Nicklas Lidstrom's shot past him.
"We are going to have to be more aggressive to deal with those people in front if they are not going to call it the way it's supposed to be called," Dallas coach Dave Tippett said.
Turco said the word from the league was, "We had the ability to move within our blue (goalie area)."
Holmstrom was straddling the blue goalie area on his deflection goal.
"We like to have our hands out in front of us," Turco said. "And I wasn't able to do that, because (Holmstrom) was coming backwards at me. ... If you asked me, those (goals) should be waved off."
Holmstrom treats the area in front of the net as his personal space, and the majority of his goals come from deflections off him or his stick.
"He's one of the best at getting in there and tipping," Turco said. "He doesn't get enough credit for his hands, and he's willing to pay the price and he got rewarded."
Historically, Turco, a former University of Michigan goalie, has not had much luck in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. He's now 0-8-2 there, counting regular-season appearances.
"(The Red Wings) didn't do anything we didn't expect," Turco said. "We will just find ways to stay out of the box. We do like our chances five-on-five."
But the Stars will be trying to defeat a team that has outscored its opponents 32-11 in its past seven victories.
"I think this team is comparable to some of the great teams we had back in the 1990s," Lidstrom said. "We're playing well as a team."
Source: USA TODAY
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