Five for Fighting

NHL fines three

If you can't suspend them, hurt them in the next best place: The ol' pocketbook. Mike Ribeiro and Chris Osgood were fined undisclosed sums for their melee on Saturday night. As a quick sidenote, I've always wanted to make an undisclosed sum of money, just once in my life. Let's face it: If it's undisclosed, it's probably a lot.

Anyway, I'm off track. Steve Ott was also fined for his tender moment with Kris Draper with five seconds remaining in regulation on Saturday night. I think that's all there is to report on all this stuff for the moment. Thank goodness. It was already getting old as far as I was concerned. Let's get back to games, people!

Robidas scores

The Stars even it up thanks to a delay-of-game penalty on Nicklas Lidstrom. Stephane Robidas laced this one through a fairly open net (Brenden Morrow was down front causing some havoc) just 14 seconds into the power play.

Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow on the assists.

A Red Wings rebuttal was just waved off; the ruling is Henrik Zetterberg touched in on a hand pass. Anyway, the Stars need to use that break.

My oh my

Hey folks. I'm sitting in San Jose Airport way before the crack of down. I think I slept last night but I have no real proof. Anyway, talk of the game:

All I can say is, wow. That third period was as big of a statement as the Stars have made in this postseason, with their third period in Game 2 against the Anaheim Ducks a close second. Very similar, actually. Couple of points:
** Yes, Sergei Zubov's skating wasn't his best. Three months off, here. But the man's passing and shooting haven't suffered a bit. I talked to him after the game, said he felt good. We'll see where his soreness level is today, but I think it was best his first game was Game 2, not Game 3 when he'd have a very short recovery time for Game 4.
** Mike Ribeiro's goal was ridiculous. He said afterward that he's actually had three goals like that off Evgeni Nabokov. According to Ribeiro, he's scored one off the inside of his leg, off his back and now off the back of his skate. That line was carrying the load through the first period, especially.
** Marty was great again. Yes, he probably wishes he would've stayed put on the Milan Michalek goal (who's to say Michalek still wouldn't have scored), but if not for Marty in the first period the Stars have more than a one-goal deficit staring at them to start the third.
** Welcome back, Brad Richards. We missed you in Game 1, and part of Game 2. But you reminded us again why the Stars picked you up at the deadline. Great goal to open the third, and it changed everything. Co-GM Brett Hull probably wore a smile in his sleep last night.
** I still find it a bit amusing that the third period, the period that doomed the Stars over and over again through that horrible March, has been their strongest in these playoffs. They're burying the opposition in that final 20 minutes, although I'm guessing the guys would like to enter it with a lead again. This is the third consecutive game they trailed to start.
**Niklas Hagman said it doesn't matter if he doesn't score, as long as the Stars keep winning. Nevertheless, he needed that game. By the way, credit Jennifer Floyd Engel for her prediction of Hagman getting off the schnide.

OK, folks, I'm fighting sleep deprivation hard. I've got a lengthy layover in Denver, so I'll be back.

Ribeiro scores

Wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it. Brenden Morrow took his sixth (yes, sixth) shot of this period, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped that one. But Mike Ribeiro threw out back at him, and it hit off the back of Nabokov's left skate and in.

Odd, yes. But it counts. Stars and Sharks tied. Norstrom on the secondary assist.

Morrow scores

The Stars have struck again, this time with Brenden Morrow scoring his fourth goal of the postseason. Actually this was created mainly by Mike Ribeiro's attempted wraparound. The shot went wide, but Morrow was there to clean things up.

Morrow, from Ribeiro and Matt Niskanen at 9:09.

Ribeiro scores

Mike Ribeiro gets a Ducks turnover and makes them pay for it. It looked like Francois Beauchemin was trying to pass back to Scott Niedermayer along the blue line. Ribeiro got his stick on it, and was off. He slowed it down when he got near Giguere (of course), then flipped a backhander in for a 1-0 Stars lead.

It's unassisted, at 6:28.

They're a go

That's the word from Dave Tippett regarding Brad Richards (flu) and Mike Ribeiro (elbow), as far as tonight's game is concerned. Ribeiro was having a little fun with it on Wednesday morning, saying he was a "game-time decision" with a wry smile on his face.

I'm intrigued by tonight's game. Remember the days when the Stars could just chalk up a victory against the Coyotes? No more with that. The Desert Dogs are feisty this season, so there's no gimme with this one.

Tuesday update

Mike Ribeiro and his bruised elbow skated early on Tuesday. Brad Richards was out with a flu bug that's been going around the locker room. But Dave Tippett said both should be players tomorrow against the Coyotes.
Toby Petersen has apparently cleared waivers, so he'll be with the team the rest of the season. He's another center, and Tippett said with Jokinen and Halpern gone it doesn't hurt to get another one blended in with this group.
Matt Niskanen practiced again on Tuesday; as far as his status for tomorrow, TIppett said, "we'll see."

I'm sensing that this team is very, very focused on tomorrow's game. After all, there's only four points between them and Anahim right now (six between them and San Jose). March will be good for rest, but there's going to be a lot of pensiveness, a lot of days sitting and seeing what happens. There are few games remaining, but it's immeasurable how much each one means to this team's finish.

Marty's star and other musings

Marty Turco was named No. 2 star for his work in February. Turco was 9-2-0 with a shutout and a 1.90 goals-against average last month. Marty just needs one more victory to collect 30 for the fifth consecutive season. Not so shabby. He's probably starting on Wednesday night, too.

Mike Ribeiro was off today, and got an X-ray on his elbow. Quick evening update: He's day to day with a bruised elbow, so at least it doesn't sound like there's anything structurally wrong.

Krys Barch was out with the flu today. Matt Niskanen is feeling better and should be a go on Wednesday.

Ribeiro fine

Mike Ribeiro just suffered a bruised elbow last night when he spun around with Jordin Tootoo. Dave Tippett said Ribeiro received treatment on it today and should be at practice on Monday.

Matt Niskanen will also practice on Monday.

It's a quiet day otherwise, folks. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Becoming a mess

Jordin Tootoo scores at 7:53 for a 2-0 Nashville lead. Mike Ribeiro answers about 30 seconds later off a turnover to make it a game again, 2-1. Then J.P Dumont scores just 23 seconds later to give the Predators a 3-1 lead again.

Ugly, ugly stuff in this period. Marty was great through the first two periods, but two of those goals not so good (the last was a 2 on 1).

Ribeiro returns

Mike Ribeiro just returned to the bench during this latest time out. Stars go on their fourth power play after Modano's breakaway forces Nashville to slash him.

Ribeiro hurt?

Mike Ribeiro glanced off Jordin Tootoo and then landed awkwardly on his arms about 3:30 into this second period. He went off immediately, so we'll see what happened (and his status) here soon.

Two more goals

The Stars are looking like a well-oiled machine right now, and Brad Richards is showing why he's here. His passing with Antti Miettinen to Niklas Hagman was a thing of beauty, as Hagman got his 24th of the season for a 3-1 lead at 2:47.

Not to be outdone, the Mike Ribeiro had their own little nifty passing display, this one led to Loui Eriksson's sixth goal in his last four games, at 4:41. The Stars are up 4-1, and everyone's looking fantastic, especially that Richards group.

Ribeiro scores

Mike Ribeiro scored on the Stars' 5-on-3 to make it a tie game at 16:42. The Ducks fans weren't too happy that they had two in the box.

Mike Modano took three wicked shots at the start of this power play. Surprising one of those didn't go in. Anyway, the last part of the third power play wasn't nearly as enticing.

Stephane Robidas and Modano assist on Ribeiro's goal, his 24th of the season.

Ribeiro's turn

Mike Ribeiro makes it 3-0 with a wicked shot on a wicked angle. It was another power-play goal, giving the Stars a 2-for-3 night on the advantage so far. This shot was high and tight, and if there was any doubt it went in, you saw it hit the top of the net so hard that Toivonen's water bottle bounced.

Stephane Robidas and Mike Modano get the assists at 5:30, just 13 seconds into the power play.

Ribeiro ties it

Mike Ribeiro flicks one that appears to hit off Mikka Kiprusoff's stick and in to tie the game at the 13:47 mark. The Stars had a nice little set of shots after that one, too, as they hadn't gotten much on Kipper through the first half of this period.

Anyway, Antti Miettinen and Mattias Norstrom on the assists.

Zubov out, Ribeiro in All-Star game

It's official: Sergei Zubov is out of this year's All-Star game as he heals from a few injuries. It's always disappointing for someone to get this opportunity taken away -- Tippett said this morning that Zubov was very excited to play in Atlanta -- but the rest will be beneficial for him.

So that paves the way for Mike Ribeiro to make his first All-Star appearance. He should have been included in this, anyway, regardless of Zubov's condition: he's still leading the Stars in goals (22) and points (53) this season. So kudos to him.

Ribeiro strikes again

It seems only right, since that line has once again been the biggest one in creating things around Manny Legace. Ribeiro could've taken a deep breath and blown this one in, he was that close.

The St. Louis lead is cut to one.

Small All-Star rant

OK,
The Sergei Zubov selection is a good one. The guy's fantastic, regardless of age, in what he can do on the blue line. But why no love folr Mike Ribeiro? Doesn't 21 goals in the first half of the season get you anything. Plus, I'd still love to know the last time a Stars player got to 21 goals before December ended. I could be on the search for that for a while.

Anyhoo, the Young Stars will be selected on Tuesday. And if Matt Niskanen isn't selected there's a big problem. He's been the big surprise for the Stars this season, coming out of nowhere to take a spot on the blue line, and with Zubov no less.

Niskanen deserves some love!

Ribeiro's deal and other ramblings

I've been waiting to get ramblings into a headline. Anyway, on Ribeiro: I think we were reminded tonight on how this was a deal you couldn't wait to make. Ribeiro has a team-leading 46 points, and he's once again bouncing off defenders and making plays.
   So you have him at 27 and Brenden Morrow at 28 sewn up for five-plus years. Not bad, considering what a successful combo this has been. It certainly bodes well for the future. Nice to see that line get back to generating offense again, too.
   As far as the Stars go, can we stress enough how much of a must-win this was? A big road trip looming, and a fifth loss in a row could have been devastating. But they did it.
   OK, folks, I'm outta here. Have a nice night!