Matchup games leave Stars behind
By Joe Lago
ESPN.com
DALLAS -- After watching New Jersey send its top line against his top guns for two straight games, Ken Hitchcock got his chance to play "Match the Line" in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.
|  | | Mike Modano, background, didn't face New Jersey's top line as much as in Game 2. |
Contrary to what he said to the press in New Jersey, he obviously does mind Larry Robinson rolling the dice by placing power against power. So, Hitchcock opted for the conventional strategy, mostly using his third and fourth lines against New Jersey's No. 1 line of Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora early on Saturday night.
The percentage play didn't work in the Stars' favor.
Arnott tied the game at 1-1 in the first period with an even-strength goal by blowing through Guy Carbonneau and Dallas captain Derian Hatcher. The Devils center also set up Sykora's go-ahead, power-play goal in the second period in a 2-1 Dallas defeat that moved the home-ice advantage back to New Jersey.
"We needed a better advantage," Hitchcock explained of his decision to move his top line of Jere Lehtinen, Mike Modano and Brett Hull away from the Arnott line. "There is no point in only breaking even."
Dallas was 1-1 with the Modano line going head-to-head with the Arnott line, although they faced each other a lot more in Game 2. New Jersey's No. 1 trio combined for four goals and 11 points in the Devils' 7-3 win in Game 1 but was kept in check in the Stars' 2-1 victory in Game 2.
Elias, Arnott and Sykora rebounded by manufacturing 13 of New Jersey's 31 shots on goal in Game 3. They also made up for a minus-2 showing in Game 2 by each finishing a plus-1.
"We felt we never played against the Arnott line. It was mainly Gomez's," Modano said. "Obviously, it was some change from Game 2, but you know, we are put out there. We play against who they want us to play against."
Arnott, who now has a Cup finals-best six points, was just as surprised to see more of Guy Carbonneau and Roman Lyashenko than Modano.
"I figured we would be playing against them a little more, but we didn't," said Arnott, who has 11 points in 10 career playoff games against the Stars. "We had four solid lines going all the time. I guess we took advantage of that."
Robinson refused to get caught up in the Great Line Debate. "I got enough trying to worry about who I get out on the ice without having to worry about who Hitch puts out there," he said.
Hitchcock's tweaking wasn't limited to just Modano's line. He also changed up Joe Nieuwendyk's line to try to spark the 1999 Conn Smythe Trophy winner from his scoring funk.
Nieuwendyk opened the game skating with Scott Thornton and Jon Sim, who was later replaced by Mike Keane on a few shifts. The switch still didn't change Nieuwendyk's goal-less status in the finals.
"Part of it is what Jersey is doing," Hitchcock said. "But a bigger part is that we are just not -- including Nieuwendyk and a lot of other people -- playing with that necessary sense of urgency. Both teams are committed defensively, and if you are going to score, you are going to have to be a lot more desperate."
The obvious remedy for Nieuwendyk's scoring woes is winger Jamie Langenbrunner, who has yet to dress in the series due to a sprained knee. Langenbrunner suffered a setback trying to test the knee on Tuesday, and it's looking more and more that he won't return to the lineup.
"Obviously, the key to our success is our depth. ... You still need support," Modano said. "That is the way it was last year. We always got key goals from everybody throughout our lineup and made life a lot easier." |
