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Thursday, May 28, 1998

Dallas defense gets nasty with Red Wings

By HARRY ATKINS / AP Sports Writer

DETROIT (AP) -- Sergei Fedorov got sandwiched by Pat Verbeek and Jamie Langenbrunner. Steve Yzerman was blindsided by Derian Hatcher. Kirk Maltby had to pry Craig Ludwig's fingers off his throat.

What was going on?

Easy. It was just the Dallas Stars getting a little nasty, and getting even with the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference finals.

After losing 2-0 in Game 1, the Stars rebounded with a vengeance for a 3-1 win in Game 2. Coach Ken Hitchcock said the Red Wings can expect more of the same when the best-of-7 series resumes Friday night at Joe Louis Arena.

"Getting the energy back, that's our personality and we have to play that way," Hitchcock said. "It's a little bizarre, but we have fun doing it."

The Stars, who had the NHL's best record during the regular season, can afford to live dangerously. Especially against Detroit. The Red Wings have scored on only 14 of 92 power-play opportunities during the playoffs.

That means the Stars can turn loose Hatcher, Ludwig and Richard Matvichuk without much fear. Even if they are penalized, chances of the defending Stanley Cup champions scoring with a man-advantage are slim.

"I think Matvichuk, Hatcher and Ludwig are one of the biggest keys to our group," Hitchcock said. "I think the nastier and harder Derian plays, the uglier that group of three plays, the better it is for us.

"We are prepared to pay the price sometimes with penalties."

Hatcher has been especially nasty. In the first game, the hulking 225-pounder slammed Detroit forward Doug Brown into the boards, bruising his shoulder. Brown, who missed the Red Wings' first 11 games with a separated shoulder, sat out Game 2 at Dallas.

In the second game, Hatcher made repeated runs at Yzerman, who has been Detroit's best player during the playoffs. Still, the Red Wings' captain had no complaints.

"They played with physical intensity," Yzerman said. "That's the way playoff hockey should be played."

But what about Ludwig's attack on Maltby?

Shortly after Vyacheslav Kozlov had scored, cutting Dallas' lead to 2-1 in the second period of Game 2, Ludwig whacked Maltby behind the net. But he wasn't finished. Ludwig grabbed Maltby's neck, dug his fingers into the flesh, tossed him to the ice and punched him repeatedly.

Maltby took the pounding, looking all the while at referee Rob Shick. That gave the Red Wings a four-minute power play, but they couldn't take advantage.

"No one wants to take penalties, but you know you're going to get some penalties," Dallas forward Guy Carbonneau said. "We had one of the best penalty-killing units in the league all year, so we have confidence we can do the job."

The Red Wings got a preview of things to come in Game 1 when Mike Keane, a nemesis from his days with Colorado, caught Detroit forward Darren McCarty outstretched, with his head slightly down, coming around the net.

Keane delivered a booming check that sent McCarty flying one way while his stick, helmet and gloves went another.

"I got absolutely hammered," McCarty said. "I'm the first to admit it. I've never been hit that hard in my life. He smoked me clean. I lost all my gear. I had to check to see if I still had my pants and skates on."

The Red Wings, bidding to become the first team since 1992 to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, could take solace in the fact that the next two games will be at home. But they won't.

Detroit is only 3-3 at Joe Louis Arena during the playoffs. It's the worst home record of the four teams remaining.