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Day at a Glance: It's time, again Title-mad Buffalo ready for Game 3; Mo & GoalieGate Click here for more on this story Posted: Saturday June 12, 1999 02:50 PM By Jamie MacDonald, CNN/SI   In the Crease Sports Illustrated contributor Pierre McGuire , a former coach of the Hartford Whalers, dissects strategy for CNNSI.com throughout the Stanley Cup finals. Everything was going the Buffalo Sabres' way in Game Two. They controlled the tempo, engaged the Dallas Stars at the point of attack as well as any team has all year, and they held the Stars to only 12 shots over 40 minutes. Then, BOOM!, the game changed, as the Stars showed their fans what desperation is all about. The Stars started to open up the attack in period three, and this enabled them to put pressure on the Sabres and their fine goalie, Dominik Hasek. The Stars opened up the attack by jumping their defensemen into the rush and into the offensive cycle. Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor were active, as was Derian Hatcher. The Stars' defensemen need to carry that aggressive style into Game 3 in Buffalo. It should also be noted that the Stars really dominated the third-period face-offs, thus getting puck control and playing the tempo they desired. The big question is, what will the Stars do if Mike Modano is unable to play? Modano was injured in the third period after a legal hit by Sabres defenseman Jay McGee. Modano will be missed on the penalty kill -- Stars coach Ken Hitchcock only has used two sets of forward penalty killers: Mike Keane and Guy Carbonneau, along with Modano and Jere Lehtinen. The scary thing is that the Sabres have had a great deal of success on the power play. There is no need for the Sabres to panic. They were more disciplined in Game 2, and they love to play in front of their home crowd. They need to put more consistent pressure on Stars goalie Ed Belfour, and make sure that the Stars don't physically batter Hasek. Clearly a point of emphasis for the Stars is to try and create as much crease and non-crease conflict with Hasek as they can. Buffalo needs to clear the crease area a little bit better, and make sure that the defensemen communicate with Hasek when he leaves the net area to handle the puck. Game 3 won't be a chess match, as the hatred level in this series has escalated, but it will be important to score the first goal. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- If an alien were dropped into this town, with no prior Earthly knowledge or possessions, it wouldn't take long for the following questions to arise ... What are the Sabres and why are they going to win the Stanley Cup? It's not quite the sensorial bombardment of the gambling industry in Las Vegas, but you simply cannot hide from reminders that the NHL's Eastern Conference champs (trumpeted as such on the T-shirts worn by Buffalo's airport employees) are from this city in western New York. But because it's all-Sabres-all-the-time around here ("Honk if you luv the Sabres" ... "be the sixth caller to complete the equation Kruse plus Ward minus Hasek and win tickets to Game 3" ... "Fasten seatbelts, Go Sabres, Buckle up" ... Sabres mini-flags on cars, by roadsides and in hotel lobbies ... Sabres radio highlights instead of hold music ... get the point?), leave it to us to ask the important questions. If Dallas superstar Mike Modano were a tree, what kind of wood would he be? Well, since it's difficult to read between the lines of playoff injury rhetoric -- a distance measured in miles, not inches -- you'd have to figure it's somewhere between oak and balsa. If you listen to the man himself, and we did after the team's Saturday morning skate, "Well, so far so good, I think I'm just going to leave it at that and wait until tonight to make a decision. I'll go for warmups and see how feels, but it felt a lot better out there than I thought it would out there this morning. There's a lot of discomfort in the whole area but ... I could do a lot more than I thought I could." "Hopefully it doesn't give me any problem on faceoffs and shooting the puck and vibrations and everything, but we'll talk to the doctors tonight, get their opinion and go from there." When he was asked to comment on the widely-reported hairline fracture and about any problems he may be having with his shoulders, Modano, replied flatly, "Nope. Shoulders are fine," which brought the media room to laugh at Modano's execution of the Statue of Liberty. Modano spoke in terms of playing Game 3, ("I'll have a lot of protection -- a playing cast on it ... We'll see what the magic of the needles can do ... I've got the rest of my life to heal ... It would be disappointing" to miss such an important game), but the bottom line is that no one's committing to anything. "We'll see how he feels later in the afternoon," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said, "but right now, I see no reason [for him to sit]." If he does play and isn't able to take faceoffs, Hitchcock says he may use Darryl Sydor up front. "But other than faceoffs, he's going to have to play every situation," Hitchcock said. "He's going to have to play his 20, 25, 30 minutes. He's going to have to be a player in that atmosphere." Despite reports that had Modano's washed up for the playoffs, and Saturday's information that didn't get past the hints and allegations stage, the Sabres feel they must prepare as though Mr. Mo will go. Despite some rumors that Modano's done for the season, the Sabres feel they must prepare as though Mr. Mo will go. "The important thing is," says captain Michael Peca, "we want to make sure there's no letdown by our guys. We want to make sure that we continue to go after them and not think it's going to get any easier because Modano's out of the lineup. They've showed some great resiliance throughout the playoffs having guys step in and fill holes. So we just want to make sure we're going out with the same focus as if he was in the lineup." If Modano should play ... "If he is in the lineup," Peca says, "then obviously we're going to make a point to make sure we're very physical with him and making it miserable on him. I don't think if a guy's got a broken wrist, that you're going to want to take a two-hander at him. But you want to make sure you're physical with him -- anytime he's in traffic, try and get in his way and bump him. Certainly if there's a weakness, you're going to try and expoit that weakness." Which is okay by Modano's coach. "He's our best player," Hitchcock says. "He's going to have to protect himself. We can't go out there and worry about the Michael Pecas or Dixon Wards running after him. You're going to have to take care of yourself in this business -- just like Eddie [Belfour] will or [Dominik] Hasek will." Hitchcock is referring to is what may become GoalieGate, where each team takes turns at jousting runs toward the other's goaltender. Most of the controversy centers around Hasek's willingness to play the puck just about anywhere in his own time zone -- which Hasek says will only increase at home. "If he's in the way," says Hitchcock bluntly, "he gets run over. If they [the Sabres] run over Eddie, he can take care of himself. He's a tough guy. And if we get going exchanging goaltenders, we got lots of good ones." Is the Dominator being roughed up, or is he asking for it by playing the part of defenseman No. 3? Somewhere in between is the easy, and right, answer, but it won't stop each team from seeing it their way. Which is where the H-word begins to boil. What's a four-letter word that may come to define the 1999 Stanley Cup finals? H-A-T-E. The teams admit to a growing, shall we say, dislike of one another and the running of the goalies is a central theme. But indications are that no matter how hard the Sabres drive at Belfour -- which can be expected, as much as a strategic retort to Game 2, as a pyschological salvo fired back at the Stars -- neither camp will admit that it's much more than big boys being big boys. "We're talking about the big prize here," says Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. "There's just nothing fair right now. I realize that. I'll do anything to win. Hitch is going to be the same way. Fair ... that's a word you use for the weather in Buffalo in March and April." Storylines We're Following Hasek criticism Besides roaming charges, the Stars are also upset with Hasek's use, or misuse, of his stick when he conveniently leaves it behind -- in a passing lane -- and goal posts seeming to fly off the hinges when he's in trouble. "I think he's abusing the rules," Hitchcock says. Hitch's message to Dom, "Stay in the net. That's what you're paid for. If he wants to come out of the net, then pay the price. If a goaltender has the puck, then we've got to hold up. But if the puck is loose and he's in our way and it's up for grabs, then get out of our way because we're coming over the top, we're not going around." Honey, I'm home On returning home, where the Sabres are a sparkling 7-0, Peca says, "Guys have felt very comfortable at home. Obvioulsy playing in front of your home crowd, makes it more enjoyable. And one thing we've been doing all playoffs is making sure we're always having fun. In front of our crowd the noise they've been making and the way they've been backing us, it's a lot easier to have fun at home. Guys get very excited playing at home and we're looking forward to it." Wearing down A lot has been made of the youth versus experience matchup, which some think favors the Sabres and their young roster and attempts to wear Dallas out. Not gonna happen, says Hitchcock. "Resolve" is the word he uses. Hitchcock points out that the Oilers tried to run and gun the Stars into the ground and were less than successful. Then again, the Oilers didn't steal home ice in Dallas. Weather Considered a parent to the Game 1 ice conditions (gushy like Sweeps Week on the soaps) at Reunion Arena, Mother Nature rolled into Buffalo the same way she loomed over Big D -- hot. Friday's temperatures in Big B were the highest the area had seen in 45 months and 21 days, needling into the 90s. This all means Marine Midland's cooling system will have to stand up to the same conditions that made Game 1's ice so slushy. Bet on the ice on playing a little more like it did in Game 2 -- which, by all accounts, was a more skate-worthy than Game 1 -- if not the glass-like surface Buffalo is used to at home. Lineup changes Michal Grosek (back injury, needless to say, not much more was said about it) will not play Saturday night, but Rob Ray will see his first action of the series (but because he's a sentimental choice). "He was one of our better goal scorers in that Toronto series," Ruff said. NHL's Three Stars Each day throughout the Stanley Cup finals, we'll take a look at three key individuals. Brett Hull . If he continues to bury pucks behind Hasek, the Stars will be more dangerous with or without Modano in subsequent games. Dominik Hasek . Tired after Game 1, says he felt fine after Game 2 and is looking forward to Game 3. Hitchcock wants him in the net, but he says he'll come out to play the puck more often at home. Eddie Belfour . The Sabres won't be crisscrossing, teeing up one-timers or curling past the net. They'll be coming straight into his kitchen in Game 3. Bandwagon Sabres practice facility Worth the field trip if you're in the area Grand-Pierre, Shannon, Ray, Kruse (6 G, 18 A, 444 PIM combined in '98-99) and with the ice nearly to themselves at an optional Friday skate, no gloves were dropped On-ice officials. Other than the usual missed-it complaints, they've been invisible. Sabres' just-have-fun-baby attitude. They don't care about their less-lauded pedigree. Stars' power play. It's an 0-for-15 streak heading into Game 3. Best pre-game line. "I think if you actually had the actual count of guys that were banged up ... the count would be unbelievable. Although, our team is 100 percent healthy.   Related information Stories Day at a Glance: Boys will be boys Stars' Modano says he 'probably' play in Game 3 Stanley Cup Notebook: Stars' hotel surprise SI's Michael Farber: Stars looking for more speed Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.

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