DET vs DAL

DALLAS - Mike Babcock was asked if he thinks about his coaching contract status at times like these.

"I think about it every day,'' he dead-panned to laughter from the media crowd.

The Jack Adams Award finalist obviously knows a thing or two.

"I'm staying in Detroit. I mean we'll get all that worked out," Babcock said. "I'm optimistic. No, I know that we'll get it worked out and it's just some details, that's all."

Babcock's contract (in which options have shifted from team options to coach options this season because of certain triggers) just happens to be a topic of conversation at a time when his team appears to be streaking into the Stanley Cup Finals.

But if anyone thinks he's still proving himself to the Red Wings, they don't know his history. Babcock worked his way to become coach of the Anaheim Ducks by doing a great job with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks a few years back.

Of course, that Cincinnati franchise also helped feed prospects to the Detroit Red Wings, so Detroit GM Ken Holland learned a lot about Babcock.

“He knows what he wants,” Holland said. “He's not guessing. It's not on-the-job training.”

Babcock said one of the great benefits of working with the Red Wings is the fact he gets to talk with consultant Scotty Bowman every day.

“It's great to be able to call the best coach of all time any time you want and say: What do you think about this?” Babcock said. “We talk about match-ups all the time. We talk about who he thinks is the best player. We don't always agree, but that doesn't matter.

“I think when you have a sounding board, sometimes that's very, very effective.”

Franzen tests appear normal - but he's still not ready

Johan Franzen, the Red Wings' leading goal-scorer in the playoffs, continues to battle headaches, so he's not returning to the lineup yet.

"He's day to day,'' said GM Ken Holland. "He continues to have headaches…nothing significant. We're hoping he's going to be back sometime soon, but he's not ready for Game 4.''

With the Red Wings in clear control against Dallas, and a potential showdown with Pittsburgh looming, it makes no sense to play Franzen now.

Stars young defencemen trying to stay strong

One of the biggest concerns for the Stars all season has been the play of young defencemen Matt Niskanen, 21, Mark Fistric, 21, and Nicklas Grossman, 23. The three first-year players have been tested and tested again - and have generally overcome any hardships.

"The reality is we just throw them right back in those situations because we don't have a choice,'' Stars coach Dave Tippett said of the fact either Sergei Zubov or Philippe Boucher - or both - have been injured for much of the season.

"Niskanen is a good example of what's happened. He's played so much this year that we've had games where he's struggled, then built him up and he comes back and plays very well the next game.''

Against Detroit, the youngsters have tried to do too much, Tippett said.

"What happens is players get in the mindset that they want to do more,'' Tippett said. "We've been chasing too many games, and it's led to some turnovers.''

Morrow, Modano good for Game 4

Brenden Morrow tried to put a none-crushing hit on Brad Stuart in Game 3 and ended up hitting the boards and messing up his left arm. And while he stayed off the practice ice on Tuesday, Morrow is expected to be ready for Game 4, Tippett said.

Mike Modano, who had his bell rung, also said he was ready to go.

The Stars could shuffle their lines again, as Modano moved up to the top line with Mike Ribeiro and Morrow in Game 3, and had some success. With Jere Lehtinen (leg) and Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms) out, Dallas could run out lines that look like this:

Brenden Morrow-Mike Ribeiro-Mike Modano
Niklas Hagman-Brad Richards-Antti Miettinen
Joel Lundqvist-Toby Petersen-Loui Eriksson
Brad Winchester-Steve Ott-Brandon Crombeen

He said it

"It feels like we're getting a little bit of taste of our own medicine right now, where you feel you don't have much room, you don't have much space to operate or make plays.''
-Mike Modano on how Detroit's defence is doing to the Stars what they did to San Jose and Anaheim.