NHL PLAYOFFS : Red Wings Not Celebrating After 4-3 Win

There was tape over a bruise on Shawn Burr’s left arm, and a great look of relief on his face.

Detroit’s quest for its first Stanley Cup championship in 40 years got off to the start Burr and Red Wings fans have been praying for with a 4-3 victory Sunday over the Dallas Stars at Detroit.

“It’s only one game,” Burr said. “They know they can still sneak out of here with a big one if they win the next game. We’re happy. But we’re not lighting candles or anything.”

Vyacheslav Kozlov snapped a 3-3 tie at 10:15 of the third period as the Red Wings beat the Stars in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

It was a huge relief for the town and the team. Detroit has finished with the best record in the conference, yet lost in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons. The Red Wings lost to San Jose in seven games last year and in seven to Toronto in 1993.

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

In Game 1, Detroit’s first three goals came on power plays.

Dallas defenseman Kevin Hatcher said, “You have to watch their power play. We watched a lot of that on video tape and they still got three power-play goals. Boy, that’s rough.”

During the abbreviated season, the Red Wings scored on 53 of 215 power play opportunities, second-best in the NHL.

St. Louis 2, Vancouver 1--The Blues seemed more relieved than exhilarated after taking the first step toward consecutive Stanley Cups for Coach Mike Keenan, who won the Cup last season with the New York Rangers.

“We won, that’s all that matters,” Brett Hull said after the Blues’ victory at St. Louis. “It was good to get this out of the way.”

The Blues, who tied for the third-best record in the regular season, outshot the Canucks, 36-26.

They also blanked Vancouver on five power plays, extending a Canuck drought to one for 22, including a holding-the-stick penalty on Brendan Shanahan with 7:08 to play.

St. Louis goalie Curtis Joseph made one of his best saves late in the game, sliding to stop Jeff Brown’s shot from the left side of the net with 4:38 to go. Canuck goalie Kirk McLean--named the game’s No. 1 star--had an even stronger game, robbing Hull alone three times.

“I don’t think the players ever expected we’d walk over the Canucks,” Brendan Shanahan said. “You’d have to be crazy to underestimate this Vancouver team.”

Said Keenan: “Special teams won the game for us.”

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

New Jersey 5, Boston 0--Claude Lemieux, a defense-minded forward whose assignment was to follow Cam Neely around the ice at Boston, did even more damage offensively, scoring two goals for the Devils.

“My job is to keep him from getting chances,” said Lemieux, who had just six goals--and 84 penalty minutes--during the regular season. “If I score, it’s a bonus.”

Martin Brodeur stopped all 23 Bruin shots for his second career playoff shutout. Only one of the shots was from Neely.

Game 2 is tonight.

Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 3--Defenseman Karl Dykhuis’ knuckling shot from the point gave the Flyers an overtime victory over the Sabres at Philadelphia.

Dykhuis’ shot bounced past Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek at 10:06 of the overtime as the Flyers won without injured superstar Eric Lindros. Lindros, who has a bruised left eye, and is also expected to miss tonight’s second game.

Of Dykhuis’ goal, teammate Kevin Dineen said, “It looked like a pitching wedge.”

Dykhuis, a career minor-leaguer, came to the Flyers in a February trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, said: “It was a real lucky shot. I saw it the whole way. It hit the ice and made a little bounce way up over the goalie. I can’t believe it went in.”