Three stars and Game 4 at a glance
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
Take a look at who ESPN.com chose as the three stars of Game 3. And then check out what each team needs to focus on moving forward to Monday's Game 4:
|
No. 1 star: Jason Arnott
He did so many things well. He hit, scored, shot, backchecked ... and acted like a true team leader. His seven shots were, by far, a game high, and he fought through two defensemen to tie the game late in the first period. Without that goal -- at that time -- it's doubtful New Jersey would have won Game 3. Dallas plays great with a lead, and the later it went, whether it was a one- or four-goal lead, the Stars would have gained strength. But they didn't because Arnott tied the game late in the first. |
|
No. 2 star: Ed Belfour
Maybe, the lasting image of Game 3 will be Belfour getting a piece of Petr Sykora's shot before it went in as the game-winning goal. That would be too bad because, for the second game in a row, Belfour played sensational in net. Forget about the volume of his 29 saves, the Devils had numerous point-blank opportunities, and he stood his ground. The Arnott goal was difficult to judge because Belfour -- like everyone else -- likely assumed two of his defensemen could prevent Arnott from shooting. Both goals display how slim the margin for error really is in the Stanley Cup finals. |
|
No. 3 star: Brian Rafalski
Rafalski had a quiet, two-assist game. But most importantly, especially for a rookie in his first finals, he rebounded from a poor performance in Game 2. Once again, the diminutive blueliner was his smooth self, moving the puck quickly in transition and helping out Scott Stevens when necessary. He may not have been the third-best player on the ice, but he deserves the nod because he easily could have been the goat again. |
Dallas: Generate more chances. Coach Ken Hitchcock started to juggle the lines in Game 3 in an effort to spark the forwards, but it was in vain. Perhaps, he needs to allow his skill players to take a few chances when the team falls behind. Since that's about as likely as a Wayne Gretzky comeback -- once you're spotted at a game sitting with commissioner Gary Bettman, that becomes an impossibility -- the best hope for Dallas is the return of Jamie Langenbrunner in Game 4. In the end, it has to be a major disappointment to score the game's first goal at home and have Ed Belfour play so well -- only to lose.
New Jersey: Maybe the Devils should thank Hitchcock for not matching up the Jere Lehtinen-Mike Modano-Brett Hull line against Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott. These two lines seem to alternate great games. In Games 1 and 3, the Devils got the better part of the battle, with Modano and company smothering them in Game 2. As for Game 4, an experienced Devils team should know that a win is more than a mere road bonus. It would place a stranglehold on Dallas because it's quite a tall order to ask any team -- even the defending Cup winners -- to win three in a row in the finals. There's not much to lose in Game 4, save momentum, but there's a tremendous amount to gain. |
