Day at a Glance
A great series might get even better
Posted: Thursday June 17, 1999 12:14 PM
By Denise N. Maloof, CNN/SI
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In the Crease
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Sports Illustrated contributor Pierre McGuire, a former coach of the Hartford Whalers, dissects strategy for CNNSI.com throughout the Stanley Cup finals.
The Buffalo Sabres came out in Game 4 much like I expected they would in Game 3. This time, the Sabres followed their game plan to the letter. They stayed out of the penalty box (Dallas was 1-for-3 on the power play), they played Mike Peca-Dixon Ward-Vaclav Varada against the Joe Nieuwendyk line that had punished Buffalo most of the series, and the Sabres' defensemen were very active on the offensive cycle. The most impressive thing about the active Sabre defense was that there was always a forward high to defend against odd-man rushes.
In another smart move, coach Lindy Ruff and his staff dropped their
weakside winger down into the slot area to help the defense handle the vaunted Dallas cycle game. This really helped the Buffalo
defensemen,and it thwarted a lot of second-chance opportunities for the Stars.
The Stars deserve credit for trying to adjust to this defensive scheme as they frequently got the puck to their weakside pointmen (13 of the 31 Dallas shots came from defensemen). But Dominik Hasek made the saves he had to make, and the Stars were cleared from the crease very well by the Sabres defenders.
This series has been a subtle chess match pitting two solid coaching
staffs against one another. Game 5 should be no different. The Sabres must maintain their composure and demonstrate the resilience that has become their trademark. The Stars are going to have to use the home-ice advantage to try and control the line matchups, and get some favorable penalty calls. The players who make the best adjustments and keep their wits about them will be playing for
the Stanley Cup when Game 6 comes around.
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DALLAS (CNN/SI) - With Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals looming, folks already are pasting labels on this series.
It's a guaranteed six-gamer, probably seven. The first non-sweep in five years (hooray). It also was one of the topics discussed by Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock and general manager Bob Gainey during the Stars' wee-hours flight home following Tuesday's Game 4 loss in Buffalo, and Hitchcock's day-later reaction likely captured most participants' feeling:
Ah, shut up.
"This is just a great series. You've got two teams who are evenly matched, and it's so good for the game of hockey," Hitchcock said. "And it is, but we're not looking at that right now. We're looking at what's good for our team."
His opposite number said the scores have a lot to do with the quality of play.
"I think the only way you're going to see it open up is if one team does get that two-nothing lead, or something like that, where you have got to start pinching and
start playing with a little reckless abandon," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "And you're going to ask your goaltenders to make a lot more quality saves then they have to make."
Which means look for an already-memorable series to escalate. Even though the Stars and Sabres are tired; count on it, despite public protestations. The Sabres' younger legs might rebound quicker, but they're expending the same amount of energy, and Hitchcock admitted Wednesday that some of Dallas' older players had felt "achy" at times during the series, and that the younger players had elevated their sense of urgency to win one for all the Gippers.
"We lost Game 5 last time," Dallas forward Dave Reid said, referring to the Stars' seven-game Western Conference finals win over Colorado. "We'd like to change that -- put the heat on them."
Without summoning boat-loads of statistics -- although some of you actually enjoy that -- look for Game 5's winner to gain momentum only in numbers. Why? Well, remember Game 2, after the Stars had fiddled away home-ice advantage with a Game 1 loss in Reunion Arena. They turned Game 2 into a Game 7 and won two straight.
Buffalo did the same in Game 4. A loss there would have sunk the Sabres, Dominik Hasek or not. So, every game that remains is a Game 7, regardless of its title. Expect them all to be played that way.
And OK, here's your stat of the day: Buffalo is 7-0 when Dixon Ward scores.
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Storylines We're Following
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Matchups
Unless coaches are playing verbal shell games (always possible), look for the same lines to go head-to-head in Game 5. That means Michael Peca's line against Joe Nieuwendyk's line. Mike Modano's injury-riddled group has been reduced to dangerous-in-name-only status. "We're not prepared to change the matchups at all," Hitchcock said.
Home ice
It's vital now, with tired legs and a best-of-three mindset. Buffalo gained obvious energy and inspiration from Marine Midland Arena fanatics. Dallas will need the same boost from Reunion Arena attendees.
Mistakes
Even half of one can be devastating as closely as these two teams are playing.
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NHL's Three Stars
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Each day throughout the Stanley Cup finals, we'll take a look at three key individuals.
On-ice officials. It's been said before, but as long as we're not discussing them, it's good for the game, and good for the series.
Michael Peca. Dallas is in trouble if he pulls another defensive masterpiece on Nieuwendyk, the Stars' hottest offensive player, as he did in Game 4.
Ruff and Hitchcock. Give the brains their due, for lineup-juggling, homework and media entertainment. Or, as Hitch said, "Both teams are very good at not dwelling."
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Bandwagon
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"Greatest series since ..." talk
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Come on. Let 'em finish it.
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Buffalo's offense-AWOL Miroslav Satan
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Yoo-hoo!
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Derian Hatcher
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Dallas' big nasty keeps dishing it out, shrugging it off
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Dallas complaints about Buffalo accommodations
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Be glad you're in the position to complain -- in June
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Sabres' We're-not-all-Dom attitude
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Obvious enough
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