THN.com Playoff Blog: Stars not aligning for Dallas against Detroit
Mike Ribeiro of the Stars is restrained by Kris Draper of the Red Wings after Ribeiro slashed goaltender Chris Osgood at the end of Game 2. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
Sam McCaig
2008-05-11 01:05:55
Bad Star-t
You started to get the feeling it wasn't going to be Dallas' night midway through the first period when the Stars had a 4-on-1 rush - ever seen one of those before? - and they couldn't even get a shot on net.
Then the play goes the other way and Wings rookie Darren Helm, he of zero goals in 14 career NHL games, beats Marty Turco with a wrist shot off the rush from the right faceoff circle.
Sure, it was a perfectly placed shot, but everything that could go wrong for Dallas on that sequence, did.
Detroit: West's Best
The final score was 2-1, but that flattered Dallas.
Detroit's best players, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, were head-and-shoulders better than any Star. It might have been a different game had Dallas been able to hit the net on some of their scoring chances, but it just seemed like the Red Wings had an answer for whatever the Stars threw at them.
Dallas scores 24 seconds into its first power play to tie the game 1-1? No problem, says Detroit, we'll just wait a couple minutes and then score 14 seconds into our first power play to take back the lead for good.
Give the Stars credit for knocking off two tough opponents in Anaheim and San Jose in Rounds 1 and 2, but the Red Wings are proving to be the best team in the West.
Demographics: Dallas vs. Detroit
Both teams dressed eight Canadian players, five Swedes, three Americans and a Russian.
Dallas out-Finned Detroit three to one, while Detroit had two Czechs.
Detroit was missing one key Swede, though, as Johan Franzen was scratched with "concussion-like" sympto
Related Links
Franzen has 12 goals in 11 playoff games this spring; Maltby has 12 goals in 143 games over the past two seasons.
Marty vs. Tomas, Chris vs. Mike
Oh yeah. Add Marty Turco to the long list of NHL goalies who do not like Wings crease-camper Tomas Holmstrom. (As if Turco wasn't on that list already.)
Then again, Holmstrom didn't blatantly slash Turco in the chest after the game was over, as Dallas' Mike Ribeiro did to Chris Osgood.
The slash probably didn't hurt nearly as much as the Wings goalie made it out to, but it was the definition of a cheap shot and should be reviewed by the league.
The last thing the Stars can afford is to lose Ribeiro, who's having the best playoff of his career, to a one-game suspension for a selfish act of frustration.
THN.com's Playoff Blogs, featuring analysis and opinion on the night's action with insight on what happened and what it all means going forward, will appear daily throughout the NHL playoffs. Read more entries HERE.
Sam McCaig is The Hockey News' senior copy editor and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Tuesdays and his column, From The Point, every second Friday.
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Joe Blake (Posted 2008-05-11 23:10:44)
I'm not a Wings fan, nor am I a Stars fan. Osgood did butt end Ribero.
It was dumb for Ribero to slash in retaliation. It was disgusting to see
Osgoods acting performance.
Tim Swartz (Posted 2008-05-11 22:00:21)
oh by the way I am a die hard Red Wing fan, and we don't play dirty in Hockeytown, there is no need. The Red Wings are and always have been the Class of the League
Tim Swartz (Posted 2008-05-11 21:56:30)
Are you so called Wings fans for real ? I watched that play over and over his( Osgood) stick moves maybe 2 inches, I played hockey you get that on very rush up the ice, there was no intent to injure as is stated in the NHL Rulebook, Ribiero was hot because Osgood stoned him several times throughout the game. Besides when did retaliation become acceptable?
John Nielsen (Posted 2008-05-11 20:40:42)
I'm a lifelong Wings fan, and I am hoping Ribiero is not suspended. Ditto for Osgood. Ribiero lost his head, but as Kris Draper says, it is not as nearly as bad as Pronger's deliberate attempt to injure Holmstrom last year.
Let the boys play. The refs allowed them to play on Saturday. Turco got away with a lot, and I was chuckling at his frustration with Holmstrom. I'm glad he wasn't whistled- did you see the grins on Homer's face? He owns real estate under Marty's helmet.
Joe Blake (Posted 2008-05-11 17:20:44)
Hasek tactics rubbing off on Osgood.
mark pavlovic (Posted 2008-05-11 16:56:09)
the hockey news site asks, "Should Mike Ribeiro be suspended for his slash on Chris Osgood at the end of Game 2?" you seem to agree with the majority that he should, and I guess I do too. However, if he is, Osgood should also be suspended the same amount of time for the butt end he delivered to Ribeiro's head which brought on the slash...
Steve Rowoldt (Posted 2008-05-11 16:18:30)
Just let 'em play....
Marc C. Pietrek (Posted 2008-05-11 16:14:22)
Chris, you clearly are mistaken in saying the RED WINGS will not scrap and fight. You must be frustrated like Ott and Rbiero. Mc Carty, Downey, Lilja, Cleary, Drake will all drop the gloves and whoop some ass without hestitation. Draper, Maltby, Holmstrom and Samuelson will also drop 'em if needed. Face it: you have your facts wrong and clearly know nothing about the make up of this RED WINGS team. It's ok though, if your team isn't already on the golf course, they will be soon enough. Ha Ha
Onlooker (Posted 2008-05-11 15:13:42)
As a wings fan I was disapointed to see Ozzi reach out for the face like that. I watched in slow mo several times, and he was reaching for his head with the but end. The red faced return slash by Ribieron however is more disapointing, but if I was given what I thought was an intentional smack to the face, I don't think I would control myself so well either. I hope this junk ceases fo rthe rest of the series as I have been seeing some very good, hard, clean hits dealt by both sides. But Kronwall gets my vote for the best ones.
kaspar (Posted 2008-05-11 14:43:20)
Thank God I'm finally reading here that other people saw Os-"do-Good" poke at Ribiero.....I watched HNIC and they showed the play 6 times without any of the genius commentators say anything about it....then they interview Os-"do good" and of course he's Mr Innocent and the interviewer like all the other HNIC overpaid morons just let it slide by......
Steve (Posted 2008-05-11 14:01:37)
I don't condone either player's actions but I can't believe Ribeiro is the only one under fire here. Osgood's butt-end to the face was the MUCH more dangerous play, especially given that time was expiring and the Wings had just gone up 2-0...Then to top it all off Osgood acts likes hes been shot, going down into the fetal position. You're telling me a little 2-foot slash to the chest is gonna hurt someone that bad with 50lbs of pads protecting him?...gimme a break. That was a cowardly move on Osgood's part. You wanna suspend Ribeiro? Great, but Osgood's suspension should be equal or worse.
Goal Digger (Posted 2008-05-11 13:59:05)
Turco is proving why he'll never win it all in the playoffs. He doesn't have the mentality for success. He was penalized once when he could have received three or four penalties alone. The trip of Fillpula was particularly egregious. Could have caused serious injury. Turco lost his focus and is done. He can't beat the Wings. I don't fault Osgood for slowing up a forechecker after the game's over. Stick to the face was not likely intentional. Osgood is not a cheap player. Rubberhead's retaliation was uncalled for and he should be suspended.
Gavin (Posted 2008-05-11 13:14:58)
Actually, Tom, the main beneficiaries of Holmstrom's net presence are the defensemen--not the forwards. Watch Datsyuk make a few guys look silly, and you'll realize that they are as talented as everyone makes them out to be.
Carrie (Posted 2008-05-11 12:29:12)
As a Stars fan, even I have to agree that was a super bonehead move by Mike Ribeiro. I have loved watching him play the past 2 seasons in Dallas. He did get butt ended by Osgood's stick in the face, but that doesn't give him the right to swing his stick like a weapon in retalliation. It was a frustrated, selfish play. I hope he doesn't get suspended, but I'm guessing he will (and Mark- to compare Mike Ribeiro to Chris Simon is crazy....Ribs isn't a dirty player and has no history of these kinds of cheap shots!). Hopefully Lehtinen will be back and Barnes too. Dallas played a much stronger game last night and skated great. Couldn't capitalize on their shots though.
Lane Meyer (Posted 2008-05-11 12:21:29)
It was a selfish act by a frustrated player. We'll see more frustration out of the Stars before this series concludes.
Jay Randall (Posted 2008-05-11 12:12:47)
After reading the post and watching many games in the East and West Detroit is a better team. Talent wins, Goons lose. The main Object of the game is to scores more goals than the other team while skateing, shooting and passing, The same type skills that are placed in the minds of youth hockey programs , not hack, grab, and slash. The ones who say it is better by being goons, Degrade the sport.
Chris (Posted 2008-05-11 11:49:46)
I'd like to say to Mark McAuley, what do you mean Osgood was standing there minding his own business? He just shoved the butt-end of his stick into Ribiero's face before Ribiero slashed him. That's when Osgood fell down and acted like he was in so much pain like a little baby. What a sissy. Then you say that he should hope that he gets suspended so that one of the thougher Wings doesn't "exact revenge on him." Who exactly would that be? Old man Chelios? Glued on gloves Samuelsson? Wouldn't fight if my life depended on it Zetterberg or Datsyuk? Please. Give me a break. The Wings are a bunch of pansies and I don't know why other teams aren't punishing them into submission as in previous years.
Tom (Posted 2008-05-11 10:36:04)
What Holmstrom does to frustrate goaltenders is pretty much all legal but I wonder, if Holmstrom wasn't positioned in front of the goaltenders would all those shots on net end up as goals ? Maybe Detroit's forwards are not as talented as they're made out to be. Hmmmmmm ?????
Stanley Cupp (Posted 2008-05-11 10:16:51)
I'm not sure Osgood's poke at Robiero was so deliberate. It kind of looked like he just meant to slow him as he went past. Osgood did overact to the slash (since he has all that padding) but it did look like Robiero broke his stick on him. So one of three things will happen in Game 3: Kronwall will administer one of his horrendous checks on Robiero. Everyone will administer punishment to Robiero all night. Or the Wings will fall back on the classy option and just punish Turco with shots all night. Like they normally do.
Joe D. (Posted 2008-05-11 08:40:59)
Things obviously got a little chippy on both sides last night but as a Wings fan, I think Osgood's explanation of the butt end poke was a little weak. However, so was the poke itself. I had to watch the replay three times after the announcers pointed out what he did before I even saw the move. If the poke actually did hit Ribeiro in the face, or neck, I am sure he would be angry, and I for one, would not suspend either one of them.
Marty Turco got away with a lot more crap than Ozzie, that's for sure. That trip on Fillpula was as nasty as anything I have seen.
Mike K. (Posted 2008-05-11 08:30:02)
I'm not justifying Ribeiro's selfish and completely bone-headed move, but I think some of you must have missed the apparent butt-end by Osgood to Ribeiro's face just seconds before as he skated past the net. Whether or not this was intentional, it might be unfair to say that Ribeiro's attack was unprovoked.
whatsthatsmell (Posted 2008-05-11 08:07:12)
I gotta admit. I am slowly starting to come around to Detroit. Since Bowman left, I have always looked at them as chokers, but it looks like Babcock is finally ready to shake that misnomer this year. Detroit all around played the best game last night than Dallas can dream of.
Torkel (Posted 2008-05-11 05:12:06)
:( my bad, some of it anyway - 3 finns and 5 swedes (incl holmqvist) ...
Torkel (Posted 2008-05-11 05:05:10)
...I couldn't drop it... I'm counting 5 finns and 4 swedes (incl Holmqvist) in Dallas
Torkel (Posted 2008-05-11 04:59:57)
I always thought Johan Holmqvist was the son of the great swedish goaltender Leif 'Honken' Holmqvist... It messes up the demographics though...
KEITH (Posted 2008-05-11 03:35:27)
let me save everyone the drama of having to tune in for game 3. here's what will happen. the stars will come out and give their all, playing like men possessed for the first 20 minutes...and end up down 2 for their trouble. they will then regroup, recommit, and throw all they have at the wings only to be down 4 at the end of the second period. then in the third with all hope gone, they will goon it up to the fullest and someone will get hurt...badly.
Mark McAuley (Posted 2008-05-11 03:18:11)
Ribeiro had best hope he does receive a suspension so one of the tougher Red Wings doesn't exact revenge on him for one of the most stupid, selfish and unnecessary incidents in recent memory. I hate dirty play and think it should be harshly punished by the league, but at least Simon and Pronger were provoked by an opposing player (not that that excuses them of any wrongdoing). To attack the opposition's goaltender is bad enough, but it's made worse when he's just standing there minding his own business. Ribeiro made it seem as though Osgood had just slashed the back of his legs or hit him in the groin with his stick. This is the Ribeiro Montreal fans got to know when he pulled his soccer-style dive a few years ago, falling to the ice like he'd been shot only to give the other team a smug wink and keep playing after a penalty had been assessed.
Chris (Posted 2008-05-11 03:06:48)
What was Ribeiro thinking there, he has to know the league is going to review that
Josh Evans (Posted 2008-05-11 02:40:03)
All Mike Ribeiro did, besides looking like a total jackass, was weaken his team. It's overstating the obvious by saying he needs to be clipped for the rest of this post season and well into next year. The Stars are done for. Sure, they might squeak out a game at home but it's clear to anyone who watched the game that Detroit is the better team all the way around. And before anyone gets in my biz and tells me I'm saying that because I live in Michigan, it should be noted that I'm a Leafs fan.
Tony (Posted 2008-05-11 01:24:54)
it's funny how so many people on other boards think this series is fixed. Could it be that the Wings are just outplaying the Stars now?
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