Stars’ Plight No Joking Matter

Although they are one loss from the end of their reign as Stanley Cup champions, the Dallas Stars were in a surprisingly lighthearted mood Wednesday.

Toward the end of practice, teammates told Mike Modano to join them near the boards for a meeting. Winger Mike Keane sneaked up behind Modano and smashed a pie in his face to commemorate Modano’s 30th birthday.

“I’m one year closer to retirement,” Modano lamented.

And maybe one day closer to relinquishing the Cup to the New Jersey Devils, who take a 3-1 series lead into today’s game at Continental Airlines Arena. Of the 25 teams that have faced 3-1 deficits in the finals, only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs rallied to win.

“When you look at this as three games, it’s daunting, but we don’t look at it that way,” Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Our focus isn’t winning the three games, it’s just bring this thing back to Dallas and get some momentum and see where it goes.”

A sixth game would be at Reunion Arena Saturday. “It’s going to take a great effort, but I think we can do it,” Modano said.

Having overcome a 3-1 deficit in the East finals against Philadelphia, the Devils know the Stars have reason for hope. “It’s kind of scary. It’s in the back of my mind,” right wing Petr Sykora said. “We felt against Philly we could come back, and I’m sure they feel the same way.

“We don’t want to go back to Dallas. We have to make sure we’re ready from the first shift and don’t give them any life.”

Said goaltender Martin Brodeur, a member of the Devils’ 1995 Cup-winning team: “The fact that we were able to do it against the Flyers means it’s doable. That’s a fear everybody has right now, and I think it’s a good fear.”

The Devils have tried to avoid distractions such as phone calls and ticket requests by staying in a hotel. Sykora even told his parents not to journey here from the Czech Republic. “If we win it, I’m sure there will be a lot of time to spend with them,” he said. “For a lot of guys here, this is the biggest game of our lives.”

Center Jason Arnott, who left Game 4 in a daze after taking a forearm to the head from Dallas defenseman Derian Hatcher, will play today. Arnott, the top scorer in the finals with three goals and six points, lost a dental bridge but is fine. Arnott and linemates Sykora and Patrik Elias have six of the Devils’ 13 goals in the finals, flustering the Stars with their speed and sureness with the puck.

“I’ve been going over this game in my head over and over again,” Arnott said. “It’s good preparation in that you’re thinking about doing good things on the ice.”

The Stars know they must play better defensively and patiently await mistakes by the Devils.

“When you have two teams that are totally focused and committed, when you have a crack, you have to take advantage of it,” Hitchcock said. “We’ve blinked, and we’ve blinked with and without the puck. That’s what can’t happen if we expect to win [today]. If we don’t blink and we stay with the program for 60 minutes, we feel very confident in that [locker] room that we can win. We’ve shown the ability to do that, but if we blink, they’re going to take advantage of it again.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Stanley Cup Finals

NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS

Devils lead series, 3-1

* GAME 1: New Jersey 7, Dallas 3

* GAME 2: Dallas 2, New Jersey 1

* GAME 3: New Jersey 2, Dallas 1

* GAME 4: New Jersey 3, Dallas 1

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

* SATURDAY: Game 6, at Dallas, Ch. 7*

* MONDAY: Game 7, at New Jersey, Ch. 7*

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