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| Marty Turco and the Stars will head to Detroit needing to win all three games that remain in the series, a task that appears daunting when you consider that Marty Turco is 0-9-2 in his career at Joe Louis Arena, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The Stars fell behind in this series 0-3, so they would have to win four straight to make the Cup Finals. It isn't going to happen, and don't be surprised if the Wings close out this series in Game 5.
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| Looking to spark their offense, the Flyers will go with a line last seen February 17th, that of Mike Richards, Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. "Richie and Danny have had an awful lot of success together this year - mind you, mostly on the power play, but they're two of the best offensive players on our team and in the league, two of the leaders on our hockey team for years to come," HC Johns Stevens said. "So we thought we'd give it a look." |
Our View: This move leaves the team with a second line of R.J. Umberger between Vinny Prospal and Joffrey Lupul. The team is desperate for a win, so they are pulling out all the stops to try and extend the series with the Penguins.
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| Gary Roberts, W, Pittsburgh Penguins | Thursday 5/15, 2:24 PM CT |
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| Gary Roberts will miss Game 4 due to illness, according to the AP. Roberts is battling a mild case of pneumonia, and is taking medication. |
Our View: Roberts will miss his second straight game due to the illness, but the team is in good shape without him, as they hold a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with Philadelphia.
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| Braydon Coburn has been ruled out after his swollen left eye didn’t show enough improvement, according to the AP. Coburn was struck in the face by a puck in the opening minutes of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final last Sunday and sat out Tuesday when the Flyers lost to the Penguins. Coburn didn’t break any bones, but severe swelling forced his left eye to close. He practiced on Wednesday and hoped to play in Game 4. Coach John Stevens said, "He got on the ice a little bit, but still not ready to play. I think he’s getting closer, but definitely not playing tonight."
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Our View: The Flyers are down 3-0, and the team will also be without fellow enforcer Kimmo Timonen due to a blood clot in his ankle. Earlier in the day Coburn said he expected to play in Game 4, but that was merely just tough-guy talk. Ryan Parent will take Coburn's spot in the lineup.
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| Johan Franzen is going to miss Game 5 against Dallas, according to the AP. Franzen was scratched from the Red Wings’ lineup for Game 2 against the Stars, and hasn't returned to the lineup since. |
Our View: He is Detroit's leading scorer through the playoffs, but the team is not in panic mode, as they still hold a 3-1 lead in the series.
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| Brad Richards notched an assist in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Detroit in Game 4. He scored a goal in Game 3, and he has two points in the series. |
Our View: Richards has racked up 13 points over 16 games in the playoffs. He will remain a solid source of production for the Stars until they play their final game. Dallas currently trails 3-1 to Detroit.
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| Brenden Morrow generated a goal in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Detroit in Game 4, despite a sore left shoulder. |
Our View: Morrow's tough heroics helped Dallas ward off elimination, as they now trail Detroit 3-1.
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| Sergei Zubov chipped in a pair of assists in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Red Wings in Game 4. Those were his first points of the series. |
Our View: Zubov has one goal and five assists through the playoffs. The Stars still have a life-line in the series, as they now trail 3-1 to Detroit.
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| Loui Eriksson scored his first goal of the series in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Detroit in Game 4. He notched an assist back in Game 3 as well. |
Our View: Eriksson only scored 14 goals over 69 games in the regular season, but now has four in the playoffs, along with four assists. He has provided solid depth for the Stars.
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