Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

With Sergei Zubov out and Brad Richards not firing on all cylinders, the Stars will find it difficult to progress in the Playoffs, but if the master of defense returns to the ice early, NHL odds makers will need to readdress the Stars’ betting line.

Many observers around the NHL considered the Dallas Stars to be one of the big winners at the trade deadline in March, when promising goaltender Mike Smith was shipped to Tampa Bay in exchange for former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards. But something went quickly awry in Dallas after Richards registered five assists in his first game with the Stars, as Dallas staggered to a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games and finished with a 45-30-7 record while falling to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

Richards has been a disappointment to those who enjoy hockey betting since joining the Stars, posting just two goals and four assists in 11 games with the Stars after his eye-popping debut. But all those whispers about his impact on team chemistry will disappear in a hurry if he can replicate the type of playoff performance that saw him lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup back in 2004.

Slender center Mike Ribeiro is coming off a breakout regular season in which the former Montreal Canadiens pivot ripped off 83 points including 27 goals in 76 games to lead the team in scoring. Ribeiro and winger Brenden Morrow combined to provide a huge chunk of the Stars’ offense, as Morrow led the club with 32 goals and ranked second behind Ribeiro with 74 points while playing in all 82 games. Veteran Mike Modano, 37, also avoided injury to play in all 82 games but his prolific production is clearly now on the decline as Modano posted 21 goals and 57 points this season. Jere Lehtinen also returned from a midseason injury to contribute 15 goals (including nine on the power play) and 37 points in 48 games.

The Stars got some bad news this week when star defenseman Sergei Zubov underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia. This followed an earlier surgical procedure Zubov underwent in February to insert a screw in a bone in his right foot. Zubov’s status for the first-round series against Anaheim is unknown, but coach Dave Tippett is reportedly “hoping for a speedy recovery”, and the Stars odds to win the 2008 Stanley Cup will bear watching if he returns quickly.

Zubov will be sorely missed, especially on the power play, but the Stars still have a solid backline with Mattias Norstrom, Stephane Robidas and rookie Matt Niskanen, who put up 26 points and a plus-22 rating in 78 games in his first season in the NHL.

Goaltender Marty Turco will try once again to exorcise any playoff demons that remain despite his outstanding play against Vancouver during the 2006-07 Stanley Cup playoffs. Turco fended off a stiff challenge from the since-traded Smith this season, posting 32 wins in 62 games with a 2.31 goals against average.