They Made Great Escape

Lyle Odelein and Steve Thomas are like a couple of kids released early from detention.

Both were traded from the woeful Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, Odelein to Dallas, Thomas to the Mighty Ducks. Both find themselves in the second round of the playoffs.

“What are the chances?” Odelein said. “I talked with Steve on the phone yesterday and we can’t believe how great everything worked out. We were in Chicago, out of the playoffs, and now we’re in the second round.”

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Duck Coach Mike Babcock continues to tinker with the power play. The Ducks are scoreless in 14 chances in the playoffs.

He has spread the wealth over his two power-play units, at least in practice Tuesday. Thomas, Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Stanislav Chistov and Sandis Ozolinsh worked in one group, while Adam Oates, Mike Leclerc, Jason Krog, Petr Sykora and Niclas Havelid worked in the other.

“We have two good units instead of one unit that’s out there for 1 minute 30 seconds,” Babcock said. “It’s balanced.”

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The Stars come into this round a healthier team. Center Jason Arnott, who sat out Game 6 against Edmonton with what team officials called “flu,” returns to the lineup. Veteran center Pierre Turgeon, out since March 7 because of an ankle injury, also returns. Even power forward Bill Guerin, who has sat out six weeks after thigh surgery, is expected back for this series, but probably will be sidelined for tonight’s game.

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The Stars’ Claude Lemieux, a probable healthy scratch in Game 1 tonight, gave it another try. A day after complaining that Duck goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere had illegal pads, Lemieux clarified his statement.

“It’s his pants that are too big,” Lemieux said.

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Dallas Coach Dave Tippett has told defenseman Derian Hatcher to be sure to maintain his cool and not let the Ducks goad him into doing something that might bring him a game misconduct penalty.

Hatcher was assessed two game misconducts in the Stars’ first-round series against the Oilers and had to serve a one-game suspension. Another game misconduct would result in a two-game suspension.

“He’s certainly well aware of that,” Tippett said. “I think Derian’s reputation precedes him. He doesn’t have to show anybody how tough he is. He’s a very willing combatant, and there’s probably a lot of guys that will maybe try to knock on his door [but] there won’t be anybody home in this playoffs....

“That’s just the way it is in the playoffs.”