Ice Becomes Hot Issue in Series

With the temperature nearly as hot as the home of the devil--if not the Devils--the ice at Reunion Arena figures to be less than ideal tonight when the Devils and Dallas Stars resume the Stanley Cup finals after splitting the first two games at New Jersey.

Add high humidity and an ‘N Sync concert Friday night, and the ice may resemble an Icee. But who will benefit if the surface is slow and bumpy?

At first glance, it seems bad ice would help the Stars because their grinding game doesn’t rely on intricate passes that could go awry on ruts. And they’re accustomed to iffy ice, judging by their 9-3 home record in winning the Cup last season and their 9-1 home playoff record this spring.

“The ice in Dallas is like anywhere else, in a lot of these multi-purpose buildings,” Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said after his team’s optional practice Friday. “It’s a matter of when it does get choppy, and are you willing to adjust your game because you can’t play the same game the last five minutes of the periods. You have to play a territorial game, and we’re very good at that.”

Center Joe Nieuwendyk said players complained about soft ice at Continental Airlines Arena during the Stars’ series-tying 2-1 victory Thursday. “The ice was pretty thick there,” Nieuwendyk said. “Our ice is probably better than theirs.”

Said Devil goaltender Martin Brodeur: “We rely on our speed, so I’m sure it is going to affect us a little bit. But we’re at a time of the season when we really don’t care if we play on the street or on the ice.”

The Devils are 7-2 on the road in the playoffs, including series-clinching victories at Florida in the first round and at Philadelphia in the East finals. Where they play may matter less than how they play, and they know they must be more patient and more conscientious defensively than they were Thursday.

“I think discipline is a mind-set. It has nothing to do with where you’re playing. It’s how you’re focusing and where your mind is,” Devil Coach Larry Robinson said.

But he acknowledged playing on the road, even if the ice isn’t good, may help his team find that all-important focus.

“We don’t have a show to put on. They don’t have family and friends that are coming to watch them play and score goals,” he said. “They’re concentrating on one thing, and that’s win the hockey game. That’s the focus you have to have.”

Right wing Claude Lemieux agreed. “We play a more sound game, less turnovers, on the road,” he said. “Maybe at home we’re nervous if we don’t do well, our fans are going to leave.”

No danger of that in Dallas, where the Stars have sold out 100 consecutive home games, including playoffs. “This is a very emotional building for our players, and anybody that hasn’t been here before will see [the fans] stick with us for a long time,” Hitchcock said. “It’s a very significant advantage, and we feel we’re going to need it because of the way Jersey played at Philadelphia, and that’s a loud building.”

Stanley Cup Notes

Star winger Jamie Langenbrunner will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a sore knee. . . . Special teams usually are a key in playoff series, but they have had little impact so far. The Stars have had one power play, which they failed to convert in Game 2, and the Devils are one for six. “The game is 50 minutes of five on five, and we haven’t had that before,” Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “They’re a very disciplined team and they just don’t take many penalties.”

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NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS

Series tied, 1-1

* GAME 1: New Jersey 7, Dallas 3

* GAME 2: Dallas 2, New Jersey 1

* TONIGHT: Game 3, at Dallas, Ch. 7

* MONDAY: Game 4, at Dallas, Ch. 7

* THURSDAY: Game 5, at New Jersey, Ch. 7

* JUNE 10: Game 6, at Dallas, Ch. 7*

* JUNE 12: Game 7, at New Jersey, Ch. 7*

* if necessary; all games 5 p.m. Pacific