Five for Fighting

Bumps, bruises and the brink

It was a relatively quiet day out at practice, mainly because there weren't enough people on the ice to consider the lines they had out there as gospel.
Here's the gist on the big hurts: Mike Modano said he was fine, and he will play tomorrow night. Brenden Morrow wasn't out there (spending the day with his newborns) but he's also expected to play tomorrow.
Jere Lehtinen and Stu Barnes are out for Game 4. And Mark Fistric was sick today, so he wasn't skating either. Doubt we would see him tomorrow, too.

So there are all the aches and pains, at least the physical ones. I haven't realized until now how beat up this team is. Not a complete excuse for what's happening, but... when you're missing anyone against Detroit, especially the bodies you are missing, that doesn't make things much easier.

Barnes out, Lehtinen ?

Jere Lehtinen did not skate this morning, which led us to figure he was out. Not necessarily, said Dave Tippett this morning. Apparently, Lehtinen is questionable right up until game time. He got treatment this morning, so I guess we'll see tonight.

Stu Barnes is out. Did not skate and we were told that yesterday.
It looks like Chris Conner will be out there tonight. He left a big impression on Mike Modano during training camp, when Modano called him a Theo Fleury-type player.

Lehtinen: Leg injury

OK, maybe it wasn't the noggin-to-noggin hit with Brenden Morrow. Lehtinen is apparently out with a leg injury and will not return. Don't know if it happened on that play, or if there was something else I missed. Anyway, that's the official word. We'll find out later if he's just out for this game, or for more time.

Stars up 1-0

This was set up by a Christian Ehrhoff delay-of-game penalty... and some great passing. Mike Modano found Sergei Zubov cross-ice, and he found Jere Lehtinen coming down the slot by himself (with Sharks all around, but not close) for the 1-0 lead. Stars up at the 6:14 mark on the power play.

Jere scores

Devin Setoguchi made a big ol' turnover, and guess who's in the middle to gobble it up? No, not Brad Richards. Jere Lehtinen.

Lehtinen was all by his lonesome in the slot, and he slaps one through Evgeni Nabokov (and Brenden Morrow, of course, was in front again) as the Stars take a 1-0 lead 5:25 into the second period. They looked great on the penalty kill in the first period, and I wonder how much the Sharks got frustrated with that. Anyway, it's always best to get more than a 1-goal lead, and the Ribeiro line was at it again just a few seconds ago. Unassisted on Lehtinen's goal, by the way.

Jere scores; then the Ducks

Jere Lehtinen gets another goal thanks to his placement. This one's a power-play goal, off a juicy little rebound in front of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, to put the Stars up 2-0 just 1:28 into the second period.

But Anaheim wasn't going to go this whole series without scoring a goal, and they got one on their power play just over two minutes later. It was a pretty little deflection/tip-in by Teemu Selanne off Scott Niedermayer's shot. That came at 3:41.

Stephane Robidas and Mike Ribeiro got the assists on Lehtinen's goal. Niedermayer and Ryan Getzlaf help Selanne.

Lehtinen's tally

The Stars get a 5-on-3 power play after the Sharks get whistled for too many men. Just 29 seconds into that double advantage, Mike Ribeiro laces a beauty to Jere Lehtinen, whose shot goes off Nabokov's foot and in for a 2-1 lead. That comes at 12:29, with Ribeiro and Modano on the assists.

Getting a little crazy in here.... Marty stops two 1 on 1 shots this period.

Lehtinen again

He gets a big ol' turnover handed right to him, thanks to Edmonton defenseman Matt Greene. Lehtinen had a pretty easy 1 on 1, and he goes 5-hole on goaltender Dwayne Roloson for a 4-0 lead. Unassisted power-play goal at 4:32.

Lehtinen's turn

Jere Lehtinen is the second Stars player with a tap-in goal tonight, thanks to a great pass. Actually it was two great passes. Jokinen got it from one side to the other to Morrow, then Morrow slipped one through to the front for Lehtinen, who beat Mathieu Garon 5-hole.

Stars up 2-0 at 5:35 in the second period.

Jere's turn

It's another power-play goal, and the Stars are now 3 for 4 on it tonight. Jere Lehtinen gets this one, as he dekes a Trevor Daley pass up and over Manny Legace's left shoulder for a 5-3 advantage at 3:03.

Daley and Matt Niskanen on the assists. The three-goal lead is back.

Lehtinen scores

He's baaack!

Jere Lehtinen gets a great backhand pass from Brenden Morrow, and he beats Luongo five-hole to put the Stars up 2-1. It was a power-play goal, with Morrow and Ribeiro helping, at 7:11.