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"Hockeybuzz Stars blogger"
Ft Worth, TX • United States • 23 Years Old • Male
6-3 Dallas

I don't know if tonight was a fluke or not, but if the Loui Eriksson that was on the ice tonight is the real Loui Eriksson then Dallas doesn't need to trade for a scorer. Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson, Hagman/Jokinen/Miettinen, Ott/Modano/Lehtinen, Halpern/Barnes/Lundqvist is a 12 man unit I'll go to war with. I heard Ralph and Razor use the Stanley Cup phrase tonight, and I didn't laugh. This team is really good, and if they can keep it together/get healthy they're gonna do some damage in the playoffs.


Lines
1. Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson
2. Jokinen/Hagman/Miettinen
3. Ott/Modano/Lehtinen
4. Barch/Lundqvist/Winchester

1. Norstrom/Niskanen
2. Robidas/Daley
3. Grossman/Fistric

1. Smith

Player(s) of the Game: For the 2nd straight night I can't pick just one. Morrow, Ribeiro, and Eriksson killed Nashville. Each was a +5. Ribeiro and Loui both had 2 goals. Morrow had one.

Recap:
This was probably as boring of a 6-3 game as you'll ever find. The first period was entertaining, back and forth, but the final 2 periods weren't very competitive. The first period started off very violently with massive hits left and right capped off at the 1:30 mark with Jordan Tootoo being too aggressive versus Trevor Daley. Daley got 2 for roughing, but Tootoo got a double minor. The Stars powerplay would be terrible all night so Nashville didn't pay.
11:30 in Daley joined the rush, made a pass up to Jokinen who then made an excellent pass to Antti Miettinen for the first goal of the game. Ville Koistinen would tied it up 2 minutes later from the point behind a screen from Radek Bonk.
The 2nd period started off slowly, but 6 minutes in Mike Ribeiro got a shot into a wide open net off of a weird bounce from Morrow. The game stayed close for the next 10 minutes until Loui Eriksson deflected a Mattias Norstrom shot through his and Dan Ellis' legs. With 4 seconds remaining in the period Mike Ribeiro flung a puck at the net from the boards. Dan Ellis was in such a charitable mood that he kicked it into the net for Ribeiro. 4-1 Dallas after 2.
Nashville began the 3rd period with a change in goal. Nashville responded 1:48 into the 3rd on a goal by JP Dumont. Jason Arnott took the puck along the boards towards the point, and dropped a pass to a wide open JP Dumont who scored from the high faceoff circle. The Predators responded to this goal with an intense hitting campaign that didn't shake Dallas' game plan, or improve Nashville's mediocre forecheck. The Ribeiro line put the game away at 10:03 and 10:32. Ribeiro won a faceoff to Morrow who spun around and slid it through Masons legs then 30 seconds later Ribeiro hit Morrow who then hit Eriksson for his 2nd goal of the game. Nashville ended the game with a token PPG, but Dallas pulled away with a relatively easy win. Dallas' next game is on trade deadline Tuesday. Hopefully they can find another defender because it sure doesnt look like they need anymore forwards.
Filed Under:   Dallas   Stars   Nashville   Predators  
February 23, 2008 11:54 PM ET | Delete
If it wasn't for the booing of the crowd, Modano would have been completely unnoticed tonight. How long has he been playing on a checking line as the third line center?
February 24, 2008 12:04 AM ET | Delete
For a while now this season. I think when the GM change took place, and Morrow/Ribeiro were put on the same line Modano finally stopped being the focus of the offense, and the team has been all the better for it. No line should be the top offensive and top defensive line, but when you give expectations like that to a 38 year old your teams in trouble. He doesn't look the same out there, but Ott/Modano/Lehtinen is a heck of a checking line to have. The other point is that his line isn't only worrying about checking. They are out there to focus on D, but also to counter punch and forecheck which Steve Ott does impressively. It feels like a good mix. Dallas also switches Barnes for Jokinen late in close games to up the defense even more.
February 24, 2008 12:18 AM ET | Delete
I'm still trying to figure out that minor-double minor incident with Daly and Tootoo. It was almost like they penalized Tootoo for winning a fight. Both should have just gotten 5 minutes
February 24, 2008 12:34 AM ET | Delete
Tootoo went in after Daley and started the incident, and Daley defended himself. Since it wasn't an actual fight I think the double minor was intended to serve as an instigator for Tootoo.
February 24, 2008 1:43 AM ET | Delete
That's not how I saw it, lol. Looked like Daly started it and Tootoo ended it authoritatively. But you may have seen more than me with the TV feed.
February 24, 2008 2:01 AM ET | Delete
From what I saw Daley was crashing the net and Tootoo started to push him repeatedly, dropped his gloves, then they both went crashing down. They showed it in a couple of different angles.
February 24, 2008 2:19 AM ET | Delete
CONGRATES DALLAS FANS you really took it to our predators tonight,you earned this win.an impressive performance.your team has deep playoff run written all over it.
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