Oh the places the Stars go
It's amazing how quickly life changes. One minute, I'm coming up with saxophone licks over a 2-5-1 cord progression in a tiny practice room at UNT. The next minute, I'm a low-rent sports writer breaking down 2A softball playoffs. How in the world did that happen?
I'm asking the same question of the Dallas Stars. One day, they were limping to the playoffs after a failed trade for Brad Richards. The next, they are dumping the defending champs and position themselves for a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup.
I'm not going to pretend I know what clicked for them between playing the Sharks in a meaningless regular season finale and Game 1 of their series with Anaheim. All I know is they were playing like the Dallas Stars of February, not March.
Regardless of who they play in the next round, I'm picking a Stars win. The Sharks have looked erratic, disengaged and sloppy in round one. Colorado, despite the hot play of goalie Jose Theodore, are a beatable team that is a shell of the one that rolled through the playoffs earlier this decade.
Either way, the Stars will be exercising more demons. After finally getting out of the first round, Dallas might next have to play the team that caused its first-round futility, Colorado, which embarrassed Dallas two straight years.
And looming very large is a potential Western Conference Finals matchup with Detroit, which has had Dallas' number for the better part of two decades. Marty Turco specifically hasn't had success against the Red Wings, so the Stars will need to reverse some more history to win an improbable title this year.
The key for the entire playoffs for Dallas will continue to be its young defenseman. Matt Niskanen, Nicklas Grossman and Mark Fistric have filled in admirably for injured top pair Phillippe Boucher and Sergi Zubov. Ironically, Niskanen may have been the worst of the three in round one. He was way out of position on two Ducks goals in a Game 5 loss. He will need to be better, and all three will have to steadily improve.
How did I go this long without mentioning Stephane Robidas. What an absolute warrior.