Belfour Says He Will Not Leave Stars Out in the Cold

Having lost the first battle of his personal cold war, Dallas goaltender Ed Belfour stopped taking the prescription medication he blamed for his shaky performance Tuesday in the Stars’ 7-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils in the opener of the Stanley Cup finals at East Rutherford, N.J.

Belfour developed a cold Saturday and was given a decongestant to help him breathe. Coach Ken Hitchcock said he knew Belfour was woozy enough to put the team in “a little bit of a dicey situation” but hoped Belfour could fight through it. Belfour’s dizziness, coupled with the Devils’ speed and creativity, led to six goals in 18 shots over 43:02 and an early exit for Belfour.

“I’ve been told to get off it,” Belfour said of his medication after he practiced Wednesday at Continental Airlines Arena. “It throws your balance off and affects your equilibrium. I’ve played with it before. Sometimes I’ve had success, sometimes I didn’t feel good. There were a couple of shots that hit me and I didn’t see them, and any time that happens, you’re a little worried.

“But it doesn’t matter how you feel. This is the Stanley Cup finals and you’ve got to fight through it.”

Unfortunately for the defending champion Stars, no pill or syrup will cure all their problems.

“We were disappointed and embarrassed,” said defenseman Derian Hatcher, who hyper-extended his knee in the third period but expects to play today. “We definitely didn’t have the energy [Tuesday] night and it showed. We all felt bad, and hopefully [today] we’ll feel better. If not, we’ve got to find a way to get it done.”

The Devils forced the Stars into mistakes in the neutral zone, where the Devils used their speed to begin rushes against Dallas’ befuddled defense. They also used their size to plant themselves in the slot for deflections and re-directions.

“They beat us in a number of different areas,” Hitchcock said. “They beat us down low, they beat us off the rush. But it was a lot about what we were doing, less about what they were doing. We were constantly giving them the puck in areas that we normally don’t give it up.”

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur said his team must avoid complacency. “They’re going to come out really angry and hungry,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re disciplined and stay physical and stay in the same routine and bury our chances when we have them.”

Said Devil Coach Larry Robinson: “I don’t fear satisfaction. I fear that possibly we may come out and not give the opponent the respect they deserve. . . . It’s up to me to have everybody prepared.”

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Star center Guy Carbonneau, Devil defenseman Ken Daneyko and New York Ranger winger Adam Graves are finalists for the Masterton trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. . . . Dallas winger Jamie Langenbrunner (sprained knee) won’t play today. . . . Logistics precluded Robinson, Carbonneau, Mike Keane and Kirk Muller of Dallas from attending the funeral of Maurice “Rocket” Richard Wednesday in Montreal.

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Stanley Cup Finals

NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS

New Jersey leads best-of-seven series, 1-0

* GAME 1: New Jersey 7, Dallas 3

* GAME 2: Tonight at New Jersey, 5, ESPN

* GAME 3: Saturday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ABC

* GAME 4: Monday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ABC

* GAME 5: June 8 at New Jersey, 5 p.m., ABC*

* GAME 6: June 10 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ABC*

* GAME 7: June 12 at New Jersey, 5 p.m., ABC*

* if necessary; times are Pacific