DET vs DAL

DETROIT - The focus Saturday was all on Marty Turco - the former University of Michigan goalie who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. whose father was a big fan of the Red Wings growing up - and why he couldn't win at Joe Louis Arena.

Turco entered Saturday's Game 5 with an 0-9-2 record in Detroit. He had lost close games, he had been blown out, he had seen victories taken away by stunning Wings comebacks.

And the whole process had kind of worn him down.

But if he ever was going to win a game and break the jinx, Saturday was the day to do it as a loss would end the Stars' season in the Western Conference final.

So Turco came up with 38 saves, played a hand in both goals his team scored and pushed Dallas to a 2-1 victory that kept alive the season and pushed the WCF to a Game 6 Monday night in Dallas.

"It's probably the best I've felt in this building ever," Turco said.

Turco shut down several scoring chances, but was just as impressive when he played the puck. He created a breakaway scoring chance for Niklas Hagman down the left wing on which Hagman was stopped on an impressive save by Chris Osgood, and then followed that later with the same breakout pass that started Hagman up the left wing on the rush again. This time, Hagman hit Brad Richards at centre ice and Richards left a between-the-legs drop pass for defenceman Trevor Daely trailing the play. Daley walked down the slot and slipped his first goal of the playoffs past Osgood.

After Detroit tied the game, Turco sent out a partially deflected clearing pass that Joel Lundqvist grabbed and turned into the game-winner.

"I hit some guys long," Turco said of his puck moving in the game. "An assist on the game-winner, that doesn't happen often."

Dallas won a playoff game in Detroit for the time since 1992, breaking a 10-game post-season losing streak. The win was important for a couple of reasons. Of course, it keeps the season alive. But also, if the Stars can somehow win Game 6 and force Game 7, it gives them confidence they can win at Joe Louis Arena.

"He came in here and had a real tough time in here in past years, and he just put it all behind him tonight," Stars assistant coach Mark Lamb said.

Red Wings disappointed by mistakes

Chris Chelios doesn't make many mental mistakes anymore. The NHL's all-time leader in playoff games played, Chelios made a big one Saturday when he took an ill-timed line change and left Joel Lundqvist alone up ice for the game-winning goal.

"I lost sight of the puck," Chelios said. "I thought the guy was going to play it off the boards and I ran into him. It was a bad change and it cost us a goal."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock Detroit just made too many mistakes.

"I thought tonight one of the keys for us when we had our quality chances we missed the net," said Babcock. "We missed the net 19 times and had ample opportunity and weren't able to get it done.

"The other thing I thought is, when they were in lockdown mode, we didn't get enough people to the net and enough pucks to the net for second chances."

Detroit has scored one goal in each of the last two games. It lost at home for the first time in the playoffs, and it has allowed the Stars to become only the 13th team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 6. Only five teams have ever forced a Game 7, and only two of those have actually won a Game 7.

Holmstrom annoyed by Ott, Stars

The Red Wings showed some lack of discipline late in the game when Tomas Holmstron breezed by the Stars bench and clipped Steve Ott in the face. Holmstrom received a roughing penalty with 7:40 remaining in the game while down one goal.

"To call that an undisciplined play would be an understatement," Stars center Steve Ott said. "We're putting the pressure on them."