Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings got the best retaliation against Mike Ribeiro and the Dallas Stars – a record-setting victory.
Datsyuk scored twice in the first period then again with 2:41 left, and the Red Wings beat the Stars 5-2 last night in Dallas to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
This was Detroit's ninth straight win, its most ever in a single postseason and the longest in the NHL since Montreal won 11 in a row in 1993. More important, the Red Wings will go into Game 4 tomorrow night with the chance to skate into the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth time in 11 seasons.
Datsyuk's first career hat trick overshadowed important goals by his teammates. Jiri Hudler converted a breakaway in the second period and Henrik Zetterberg scored a short-handed goal early in the third period for a daunting two-goal lead. Zetterberg also had the primary assist on two of Datsyuk's goals.
As promised, Detroit players came out more focused on the scoreboard than settling a score with Ribeiro for his two-handed baseball swing of his stick into the chest of Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood as Game 2 ended. Ribeiro was ticked off that Osgood popped him in the chops with the handle of his stick. The league fined both players, but neither was suspended.
Dallas was back home for the first time since a four-overtime victory against San Jose that ended the previous round. The Stars dominated the first 6 minutes, but didn't have anything to show for it as Datsyuk scored midway through the opening period, then scored again just 11 seconds after Dallas tied it.
The Stars are now facing the long odds of trying to wipe out an 0-3 deficit, something that's happened only three times in NHL history. A more tangible goal might be taking the lead – something they've yet to do this series.
Sharks fire coach
The San Jose Sharks fired coach Ron Wilson after the team's latest disappointing early ouster from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Wilson, hired by the club in December 2002, is the Sharks' leader in wins and winning percentage, but San Jose only advanced past the second round of the postseason once with him behind the bench.
The Sharks were the No. 2 seed in this year's Western Conference playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Stars after falling into a 3-0 hole.
