DET vs DAL

The Stars say that Jere Lehtinen will be a game-time decision with a leg injury, but they seem to have a pretty decent backup plan that involves a guy who hasn't played an NHL game since Jan. 2.

Smallish winger Chris Conner (listed at 5-8, 175) had some impressive moments earlier in the season, but lost his job when Loui Eriksson and Joel Lundqvist established themselves as lineup regulars. Conner, 24, played 22 games this season and had three goals and two assists. However, he was sent to Iowa in January and returned only to skate with the black aces in the playoffs.

But with Lehtinen possibly hurt, and the Stars looking for new answers, Conner looks like a player for Game 3 Monday against Detroit.

"He's a high-energy guy with a lot of speed,'' said center Mike Modano, who has played beside Conner in several games this season. "He's a guy who loves to get through the neutral zone and win races for the puck. I definitely think he fits what we need to do against [Detroit]."

Stars coach Dave Tippett also said he was excited about the prospect of Conner playing. The native of Westland, Mich. grew up a huge Red Wings fans, and could bring some youthful enthusiasm to the game.

"Speed would be the big factor there," Tippett said. "The pace of the game is pretty quick out there. He's a guy that had a great training camp for us last year. But when we have called him up from the minors, in and out, he's given us a real spark. And if he goes in, that's exactly what we'll be looking for from him tonight.

"He's a guy that's great on the forecheck, creates loose pucks. Not an overly physical guy, but a tenacious guy. I think this is the kind of series he would fit well in.''

Red Wings have lessons in advancing leads

Detroit was up 2-0 on Nashville in the first round and up 2-0 on Colorado in the second. The Red Wings let the Predators back into the series, but closed the door on the Avalanche. Coach Mike Babcock said there were lessons learned.

"I mean, we've been through it a couple times, just even in the last couple of years,'' Babcock said. "We went to Calgary up 2-0 (last season) ... came home tied. We went to Nashville 2-0 ... came home tied. The bottom line is what we've done is kind of held serve. They're going to come into their building, they'll be excited.

"[The] first 10 minutes is going to be really important. And our big thing is just to maintain the level of play, not to let it fall off. If we can do that, we're going to have a good opportunity here.''

Tippett said Stars have to do more offensively

Stars coach Dave Tippett said he learned long ago from coach Jack "Tex'' Evans that the best defence is a good offense, and he said he has imparted that story to his team recently.

"I told a Jack Evans story, my first coach in Hartford,'' Tippett said. "I had gone about 20 games, and I was a checker, I had gone about 20 games without scoring. Jack came over to me one day and said, 'Tip, I love the way you're checking. You're checking great. Let me give you a bit of advice: When you check a guy and get the puck, you don't have to give it back to him just so you can check him again. Right?'"

"So the work ethic and everything is fine but you got to be able to do things with the puck. When you have it, do good things with it, execute well with it. When you don't have it, you got to check well to get it back.''

Babcock: Joel Quenneville is hockey's hottest free agent

Asked about the recent decision by Colorado to let go of coach Joel Quenneville, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said he believes the move will benefit Quenneville more than the Avalanche.

"Good for Joel,'' Babcock said. "He's a hot commodity now, and he's out in the market. I think he's a heck of a coach. I think he does a good job. He got his team two of the last three years out of the first round. They were really hurt this year, and he still managed to do it.

"So I mean, probably he and his family didn't want to leave, but in saying that, it will be new opportunity. He'll get a great deal, and probably with a good team. So all the power to him.''