Dallas goaltender Marty Turco makes a glove save in Game 5 as Dallas Drake of the Detroit Red Wings attacks. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)With his team facing elimination, Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco grabbed his first career win in Detroit, making 38 saves in a 2-1 Saturday afternoon victory for the team.
The Stars received offensive support from the unlikely duo of Trevor Daley and Joel Lundqvist to trim Detroit's Western Conference series lead to 3-2.
Lundqvist picked the top left corner on Chris Osgood early in the second period, which held up as the winning goal. Jiri Hudler scored for Detroit, with Osgood making 19 saves in net.
The Red Wings lost for the first time in the playoffs at Joe Louis Arena and have now dropped two in a row after winning nine consecutive games.
The clubs will travel to Dallas for Game 6, which takes place Monday night (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 8:00 p.m. ET).
Turco had entered the contest with a 0-9-2 ledger in Detroit's building, but he impressed as Dallas was outshot in every period.
"It's probably the best I've felt in this building ever," he said.
Osgood doing his part
He made the key save to prevent his team going down early, sliding over to deny Daniel Cleary, who was set up nicely by Valtteri Filppula.
Osgood was doing his part as the Stars came out with good jump, stopping Matt Niskanen's shot from the point.
While Stars Mike Modano was unable to beat Osgood on two great chances, it was unlikely marksman Daley that gave Dallas their first lead in Detroit's building this series.
The big defenceman took a drop pass from Brad Richards and scored from the slot for his first point of the playoffs and second career postseason goal at 9:21 of the first.
The Red Wings responded to being down with several good chances and tied the game on the power play just over six minutes later. Hudler re-directed Niklas Kronwall's pass behind an outstretched Turco.
Performing well in difficult situation
Detroit also came out roaring to begin the second, taking the period's first four shots, but it was Dallas who struck. Lundqvist sped down the right wing and fired a wristshot past Osgood at 6:04 of the middle frame.
It was just his second of the goal of the playoffs, but coach Dave Tippett wasn't surprised.
"I think if you look at the line of [Toby] Petersen, Lundqvist and [Loui} Eriksson, those are perfect examples of young players who are very good players, getting thrust into a very difficult situation and performing very well."
Turco made sure the lead stuck, with big saves on Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, whose wraparound attempt came close.
"One of our themes all year is find a way to win and have the will to win and I think Marty exemplified that tonight," said Tippett. "He wasn't going to be denied in this game and he made enough saves for us to get a win."
Dallas struggled on the power play, going 0-for-5. Captain Brendan Morrow had repeated whacks at the puck with the man advantage in the second but Osgood held firm.
The Stars tried to stifle the potent Red Wing attack in the third, but showed signs of tiring. Detroit outshot Dallas 12-5 in the third.
2 bad penalties for Holmstrom
Holmstrom, who took an undisciplined penalty in the second for cross checking, was cited late in the third for another bad penalty. Holmstrom skated by the Dallas bench and elbowed one of the Stars. Morrow nearly made him dearly pay for the mistake, but hit the crossbar on a breakaway.
Detroit's best chance late in the game came from Datsyuk with under four minutes remaining. Turco made the first save, with a rebound shot skidding through the crease and wide.
Despite a 39-21 advantage in shots, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock thought his team could have done more.
"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."
Dallas are trying to join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders as the only teams to ever come all the way back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series.
With files from the Associated Press
