Monday May 11 8:30pm
EDMONTON, Alberta -- After being held without a shot in a period and scoreless in a game, the Dallas Stars try to regroup when they face off against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series tonight. Dallas' failure to record a shot in the first period of Saturday's 2-0 loss made them the second team since the NHL's 1968 expansion to be held without a shot in a period during a playoff game. The Stars have been outshot 53-29 in the first two games of the series.
Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said his team is not playing with a sense of urgency.
"I think some of our people played soft and did not have the necessary grit," he said.
Dallas split two regular-season games in Edmonton this season.
Curtis Joseph may have established himself as the best goaltender in the playoffs after recording his third shutout in four games on Saturday. Joseph, who is eligible for free agency, has stopped 88 of 91 shots over that span.
Doug Weight and Rem Murray each scored in Saturday's win. Murray and Valeri Zelepukin each have a goal and an assist during the series.
Bill Guerin has scored six goals in the postseason and has also tallied four of Edmonton's eight power-play goals thus far.
Game 4 of the series will be played Wednesday in Edmonton.
#3 DETROIT RED WINGS vs #4 ST. LOUIS BLUES
Tuesday May 12 7:30pm
The St. Louis Blues return to the Kiel Center to play a playoff game for the first time in over two weeks tonight when they host the Detroit Red Wings in Game Three of their Western Conference semifinal series.
The Blues won the first two games of their quarterfinal series against the Kings at home and then took both games in Los Angeles to complete the sweep. St. Louis' last game at the Kiel Center was a 2-1 victory on April 25th.
Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom and Steve Yzerman scored in a three-goal second period as the Red Wings handed the Blues their first playoff loss, 6-1, on Sunday, evening the series at one game apiece.
The loss may not be as costly for the Blues as first believed. Defenseman Chris Pronger, who was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy on Monday, took a puck in the chest and collapsed to the ice in the third period. Pronger had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher but he is in good condition and could play tonight.The Red Wings could see BLues defenseman Al MacInnis, who is battling a groin injury, tonight for the first time in the series.
The Blues and goaltender Grant Fuhr had allowed just 10 goals in winning their first five postseason games before Detroit exploded in Game Two.
St. Louis was 8-for-30 on the power play in its first three playoff games but has gone 2-for-21 in its last three contests. The Red Wings were 7-for-40 in their six-game victory over Phoenix and have gone 2-for-16 in this series' first two games.
Geoff Courtnall and Pronger each have eight points to lead the Blues in postseason scoring, while Jim Campbell is tops with five goals.
Sergei Fedorov is Detroit's leading scorer with six goals and 10 points. Lidstrom and Yzerman are second with nine points apiece.
Losing the first game of the series might be bad news for Detroit, since teams coached by Scotty Bowman are 5-15 when losing a series opener. The good news is that the five times Bowman's clubs have rallied to win those series, they have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. Detroit did it twice en route to the prized trophy last season, including the series against St. Louis.
St. Louis hosts Game Four on Thursday.
