Three stars and Game 6 at a glance
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
Take a look at who ESPN.com chose as the three stars of Game 5. And then check out what each team needs to focus on moving forward to Saturday's Game 6:
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No. 1 star: Mike Modano
It's an unwritten rule: Any player who scored the game-winning goal -- regardless of how he played the rest of the game -- automatically gets the No. 1 star, especially if it's in OT and the Cup finals. It wasn't as if Modano played poorly -- he didn't -- but there were several candidates who did more, but didn't win the game. It's becoming increasingly clear that, with the possible exception of Joe Nieuwendyk, no one outside of Modano and Brett Hull appears to be an offensive threat. Modano and Hull, who assisted on the winner, look ready to join Ed Belfour as the triumvirate to extend this series to seven games. |
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No. 2 star: Ed Belfour
Nothing better than 48 saves and no goals allowed to pad the playoff stats. Before the game, word circulated that Belfour felt so good, he didn't think he'd get scored on. Talk about walking the walk. He had a mixture of solid and spectacular saves. But the truth is, Belfour was in such good position all the time that some saves that looked standard were actually excellent. He'll have to repeat the performance Saturday in Game 6. |
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No. 2 star: Martin Brodeur
Another three-star unwritten rule: If a goalie makes a few saves more spectacular than his opponent but loses the game, said goalie cannot be a higher star than the winning goalie. Brodeur had a few two-pad slides worthy of any highlight film and has looked stronger as the series has progressed. He challenged shooters all night, while also making several key clearing passes. Unfortunately, his teammates couldn't get one past Belfour, and now the Devils hope to make it three road wins in a row in Dallas. |
Dallas: It's a whole new series, and there's a pervasive feeling that, now, it's destined to go seven games. Dallas played better as the game went on and seemed to have a lot of jump at times when the more youthful New Jersey looked tired. The message was clear: The Stars aren't going to roll over, and they now have the confident knowledge that they can, in fact, outlast the Devils. It is possible to play their game and win. But to win the Cup again, they must get offense from players other than Hull and Modano. It's tough to expect them to bail the team out every time it's in trouble.
New Jersey: No matter what they say, the Devils have to be a bit nervous. New Jersey has given a championship team more than a glimmer of hope. And it could bust wide open like the ozone layer in a '70s aerosol war. Game 4 was so encouraging because offense came from role players. More role players -- specifically Alexander Mogilny and Bobby Holik -- could have won the Cup for their team in Game 5. Of course, it's not their fault the team lost, but they had unbelievable opportunities and didn't connect. That's a problem, especially since Dallas will play with a lot more pop in Game 6. Best remedy is to score early in Dallas, putting pressure back on the Stars.
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