Nieuwendyk Is the First Star as Dallas Defeats Buffalo, 2-1

Dallas Star Coach Ken Hitchcock described center Joe Nieuwendyk as a man on a mission. For Nieuwendyk and the Stars, no mission seemed impossible Saturday.

Nieuwendyk scored his 10th and 11 playoff goals as the Stars rallied to defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 2-1, before a disappointed crowd of 18,595 at Marine Midland Arena. In taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals, the Stars played a relentless and thorough defensive game that further constricted the Sabres’ taut nerves and left them wondering how many arrows it will take to pierce the Stars’ armor.

“They gave us a darned good lesson. They suffocated us,” Sabre Coach Lindy Ruff said. “We didn’t skate well, but a lot of that has to do with how well they played defensively, and that was a darn good lesson.”

It was a lesson from the old masters of the NHL.

The Stars held the Sabres to 12 shots--Dallas has outshot Buffalo, 97-57, in the series, including a 27-7 edge in the third period--and clamped down decisively after Nieuwendyk took a pass from Jamie Langenbrunner, shifted from his backhand to his forehand, and lifted it over Dominik Hasek at 9:35 of the third period for the game winner. The loss was the Sabres’ first in eight home playoff games.

“We knew how much the game meant and the pressure that was on Buffalo in their first game back home,” Hitchcock said.

The Stars only magnified that pressure Saturday. Again, as in Game 2, the Stars’ depth proved crucial in the come-from-behind victory.

The Stars won Game 2 after losing Mike Modano to a wrist injury, and they prevailed Saturday after Brett Hull suffered a pulled groin muscle on an open-ice hit by Alex Zhitnik and left the game in the first period.

Modano returned to the lineup Saturday but Hull’s status is day to day, pending a reevaluation of the injury today.

The extra day off until the series resumes Tuesday at Marine Midland Arena will surely benefit Hull, and it will help the Stars recover from their all-out defensive effort Saturday. The 12 shots by Buffalo tied a record for the fewest shots in a Cup finals game and was the fewest shots allowed by a road club in the finals.

“We just wanted to blow out everything defensively that we could, blocking shots, going down or whatever, knowing that we had two days’ rest here to get ready for the next game,” Hitchcock said. “We knew that when Hull went down that we weren’t going to get many offensive opportunities with the way Hasek was playing, but I just think we played defense with so much passion.”

Nieuwendyk, who suffered a knee injury in Dallas’ first playoff game last season and underwent surgery on both knees last summer, is playing with passion born of disappointment.

“It was difficult last year not being a part of it, especially when you realize what it takes to go through this playoff run to get to this position,” he said. “So I’m just thrilled to death to be healthy and playing and doing what I can to help this team.”

He helped silence a roaring crowd that witnessed the first Cup finals game in Buffalo since 1975.

Although the Sabres sabotaged their own cause by failing to muster a shot during a five-on-three power play late in the first period, they scored with a delayed penalty pending against Dallas at 7:51 of the second period.

Brian Holzinger’s pass into the slot deflected off the skate of Dallas center Guy Carbonneau and to Richard Smehlik, who passed across to Stu Barnes for an easy shot into the open left side of the net.

But that lead lasted only until 15:33, when Nieuwendyk flicked in his own rebound.

Nieuwendyk’s second goal, lauded by Hitchcock as “a goal scorer’s goal,” made the most of the complementary talents of Langenbrunner and Nieuwendyk. Langenbrunner spun away from Curtis Brown to get the puck to Nieuwendyk, whose clever move left Hasek helpless.

“There are a lot of people that put the puck in that position all year, all season, all game, and never make that play,” Hitchcock said.

Nieuwendyk deflected the credit to Langenbrunner, his linemate and roommate.

“We had the puck in [the Sabres’ end] for a little while. Jamie did a great job getting it to the front of the net and it just went through a few legs and came onto my stick,” he said. “I pulled it to my forehand. Hasek’s always going down, so I was just able to get a shot away upstairs and into the top corner. Guys away from the puck were working real hard for me.”

As a team, the Stars’ play was impeccable. They killed off eight penalties and gave Belfour as easy a night as any goalie could imagine.

“We had a real commitment to defense,” Langenbrunner said. “Right now, everybody is doing what they have to do to win.”

Said Ruff: “This is the first chunk of adversity we’re going to have to face. . . . If we play like that again, we’re definitely going to lose, unless one goal wins you a hockey game. We have to play a lot better.”

Stanley Cup Finals

Dallas leads series, 2-1

Results

Buffalo 3, Dallas 2 (OT)

Dallas 4, Buffalo 2

Dallas 2, Buffalo 1

Schedule

Tuesday at Buffalo, 5

Thursday at Dallas, 5

*Saturday at Buffalo, 5

*June 22 at Dallas, 5

*-if necessary