Advertising Opportunities

Power plays and penalty kills are an integral part of the game of hockey, especially during the playoffs. If a team can cash in on its chances with the man advantage, it has a good chance of winning. If it doesn't...well, it's splitsville in the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Dallas-Detroit series has been the perfect example of how special teams can hurt and help you in the playoffs.

As we all know, Dallas has been terrible on the power play in this series. The loss of Joe Nieuwendyk to a serious knee injury in the first game of the playoffs has really hurt the Lone Star State's offensive prowess.

Going into Game 4, the Stars were 0-for-17 with the man advantage against the Wings. After three more tries on the power play in Game 4, including two early in the first period, the Stars were still without a power-play tally. It wasn't until Sergei Zubov finally realized that he has to shoot the puck to score a goal 55 seconds into the third period that the Stars popped one home on the power play.

Despite the jumpstart Zubov's goal gave the team, it was too little, too late, for the Stars. They already missed too many opportunities in the game, and the entire series, for the goal to do much good. They lost Game 4, 3-2, and fell behind in the series, three games to one.

Detroit, on the other hand, took full advantage of their chances, both on the power play and shorthanded.

Dallas failed to score on their first power play of the game, which came on an interference call against Brendan Shanahan. The Stars had the next opportunity of the game, as well. Sergei Fedorov was called for cross-checking five seconds after the Shanahan penalty expired, which essentially gave the Stars four straight minutes of power-play time.

Defenseman Richard Matvichuk started the second power play on the point for Dallas with Derian Hatcher because the normal duo of Darryl Sydor and Sergei Zubov were on the ice for the full two minutes of the first penalty.

After the Wings cleared the puck out of their zone, Matvichuk chased the loose puck down near his own blue line. As he attempted to backhand a pass across to his defensive partner, the puck jumped over his stick. Kirk Maltby, who was forechecking Matvichuk hard on the play, took advantage of the miscue. He dashed in front of Matvichuk and broke in all alone on Belfour, beating him with a shot high to the glove side.

A Red Wing power-play tally followed up the shorthanded goal about five minutes later. After Ed Belfour rochambeaued Martin Lapointe with his stick just outside of the Dallas crease, Steve Yzerman cashed in on the two-man advantage by poking his own rebound underneath the Stars goaltender to give the Wings a commanding two-goal lead.

In both situations the Wings took advantage of special team opportunities. The Stars didn't take advantage of theirs, and they found themselves down two goals early in the game.

So far in the series the special teams goal count stands in favor of the Wings, 4-1. Maltby's shorthanded goal and Yzerman's power-play goal are joined by power-play tallies by Slava Kozlov in Game 1 and Nicklas Lidstrom in Game 3. Four special teams goals in four games doesn't sound like a lot, but it has made all the difference in this series.

Since no game in the series has been a blowout, special teams goals have been crucial. Kozlov's goal in Game 1 got Detroit out to a quick 1-0 lead. The Wings eventually won the game, 2-0. In Game 3, Lidstrom's goal followed a Brent Gilchrist goal to help Detroit jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Wings won this game, 5-3.

The entire series has boiled down to who has taken advantage of their opportunities. The Red Wings have made the most of theirs. The Stars haven't. That's why the Wings are up three games to one in the series. That's also why they're the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Could there be a repeat in the Wings' future?

[ issues | web extra | stats | nhl archive | home | chat | mailing list | about us | search | comments ]

1998 © Copyright LCS Hockey All Rights Reserved