Stars, Avalanche Seek a Final Validation of Systems

This is why the Dallas Stars pushed themselves to compile the NHL’s best record this season, why they endured Coach Ken Hitchcock’s exacting practices and played his defensive system to near perfection all season.

They sacrificed time, sweat and their offensive inclinations to have home-ice advantage tonight, when they face the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The winner will host the Buffalo Sabres in the Stanley Cup finals, starting Tuesday.

“I think there’s almost a peaceful feeling that comes when you reach this stage,” said Hitchcock, whose team averted elimination Tuesday with a 4-1 victory at Denver. “You almost become relaxed because you know a lot of things that are in your control were put in place six months previous.

“You trust your players, you trust your own instincts, then you just go out and play.”

There’s more at stake today than the conference championship. The team that wins is likely to spawn imitators throughout the NHL, and they present distinctly different styles to copy.

The Stars’ game starts and ends with defense. There’s little room for freelancing and no room for taking chances on offense. Their defensemen rarely gamble and their forwards must prove they’re responsible defensively, perhaps to the point where their creativity is stifled.

In a freewheeling offensive system, Mike Modano could score 100 points every season. Joe Nieuwendyk could score 60 goals because he’s so effective down low. Finnish winger Jere Lehtinen might rank among the scoring leaders because he’s so sound overall. And Brett Hull, if allowed to hang back and blast away from the wing, could score 70 goals on setups from Modano.

But that’s not how Hitchcock and assistants Doug Jarvis and Rick Wilson have molded this team.

Modano has been poked, prodded and cajoled into becoming reliable at both ends of the ice. Hull plays a decent two-way game. The defensemen are physical but conservative offensively. Dinosaurs Guy Carbonneau, Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland play bigger roles than they would elsewhere because they’re disciplined defensively. The Stars want to dictate a slow pace and force opponents to play their game, knowing no one is better at it than they are.

The results aren’t artistic, but the Stars have had the NHL’s best record the last two seasons. They have also prevailed offensively in this series, outscoring the Avalanche, 19-15.

A victory today would validate the Stars’ system--but a loss might lead to a breakup of what is one of the NHL’s oldest and slowest teams and bring to the surface players’ occasional resentment over the sacrifices they’ve made. As long as they’ve won, they’ve grumbled but followed Hitchcock’s game plan. If they don’t make the finals, that could set off a revolt and will certainly lead to roster changes.

The Avalanche is more erratic than the Stars but more entertaining.

Colorado is capable of brilliant, fast-paced offensive displays but is prone to occasional defensive breakdowns.

Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic are marvelous passers and puck handlers, and Forsberg’s physicality enables him to dominate games. Rookie Chris Drury has great instincts and has the quickness to dart in and out of traffic, and Adam Deadmarsh thrives when the going gets rugged. Claude Lemieux is the battler you hate except when he’s on your side, and Valeri Kamensky’s wrist shot is fearsome. What they lack on defense--and that’s not horribly much--they more than make up for on offense.

Colorado also has the Sandis Ozolinsh factor. Dallas has no such defenseman. Hitchcock would long ago have pulled his hair out watching Ozolinsh take questionable chances on offense. But when Ozolinsh makes the right choices, he moves the puck quickly and sets in motion the up-tempo game Colorado loves to play.

Opening up offensively against the Avalanche is rarely a good idea because few teams can match Colorado’s individual skills. The Stars learned that, to their dismay, in Colorado’s 7-5 comeback victory in Game 5. Otherwise, defense has been predominant in this series, as in Colorado’s 2-1 victory in the opener and Dallas’ 3-0 victory in Game 3.

If Colorado wins today, Coach Bob Hartley’s philosophy will be validated and other teams may decide to emphasize offense, especially given the NHL’s determination to reduce obstruction fouls and recent rule modifications to promote scoring. Those changes put a premium on skill over size and opened the way for smaller players to succeed. Defense is still the quickest way for a team to become competitive, particularly in an ever-expanding league in which talent is spread thin, but playing at a faster pace and focusing on offense may be a better way to win and keep fans.

No matter what happens tonight, the drama inherent in a Game 7 will make it memorable. The Stars have won only one of three home games in this series, their only losses at Reunion Arena in eight playoff games. Colorado has won twice at Dallas, improving its playoff road record to 8-1.

“No team can say they’re going to win based on the way this series has gone,” Hitchcock said. “I think we’re going to play well, and hopefully, we’re going to win.”

May the better team--and better philosophy--win.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Stanley Cup Playoff Schedules

WESTERN FINALS

Best-of-seven series tied, 3-3

* Game 1: Colorado 2, Dallas 1

* Game 2: Dallas 4, Colorado 2

* Game 3: Dallas 3, Colorado 0

* Game 4: Colorado 3, Dallas 2 (OT)

* Game 5: Colorado 7, Dallas 5

* Game 6: Dallas 4, Colorado 1

* Game 7: Tonight at Dallas, 4:30 PDT

****

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Best-of-seven series

Buffalo vs. West Champion

All Games 5 p.m. PDT

* Game 1: Tuesday--at West

* Game 2: Thursday--at West

* Game 3: June 12--at Buffalo

* Game 4: June 15--at Buffalo

* Game 5: June 17--at West-x

* Game 6: June 19--at Buffalo-x

* Game 7: June 22--at West-x

x--if necessary