Winning Doesn’t Get Old for These Advanced Stars

Craig Ludwig has heard every euphemism to describe the Dallas Stars’ advanced age. Veterans. Experienced. Wily.

Everything but the truth.

“Go ahead, say it. We’re old,” said Ludwig, 37.

OK, they’re old--for hockey, anyway. But despite an average age of nearly 30, the Stars had more endurance and a greater spring in their step Saturday, key factors in the 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres that gave the Stars a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals.

The Stars blocked 19 Buffalo shots, seven more shots than Dallas goaltender Ed Belfour had to face. Ludwig, one of the NHL’s top shot-blockers, was credited with two blocked shots Saturday, one fewer than teammates Guy Carbonneau--the oldest Star at 39--Derian Hatcher and Mike Modano.

“The more you [reporters] talk about it, the more pride we have,” Ludwig said of the Stars’ senior-citizen status. “But they’re getting older, too.”

The Sabres were also getting frustrated by their inability to get many shots through, and certainly none that tested Belfour severely.

“They played a really good game and we did not find a way to break through that,” said winger Miroslav Satan, who had two shots and has yet to score a goal in the series.

Ludwig joked that he planned to slip his birth certificate under the door to Coach Ken Hitchcock’s office and ask Hitchcock to send younger players out to kill penalties, but there’s little chance of him succeeding. The Stars killed eight penalties, including two five-on-three disadvantages, with Carbonneau and Ludwig getting a hefty share of the workload.

“People are talking about the age of our hockey club,” Hitchcock said, “but I look at the age of your heart.”

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Modano, who injured his left wrist in Game 2, played 18 minutes, 35 seconds--not bad for someone who was supposed to be out for the series.

Modano wore a hinged brace on his left hand and didn’t seem hampered by the injury. “It was OK,” he said. “It was all right, but I wasn’t capable of doing the things I want to do.”

Told that Hitchcock said Modano’s wrist is not broken, despite reports it had been fractured, Modano smiled. “I’m going to agree with Hitch,” he said.

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In a pregame ceremony, the Sabres honored members of their 1974-75 team, the only other Sabre team to make it to the finals. Gilbert Perreault, the team’s captain and center on the French Connection line, got the loudest cheers. . . . Sabre left wing Michal Grosek missed his second consecutive game because of a back injury.