Stars Not Ready to Relinquish Cup

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  Competing with the hearts of champions--and the legs and lungs, too--the Dallas Stars fought through 46 minutes and 21 seconds of overtime Thursday and extended their reign as Stanley Cup champions at least one game with a 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Continental Airlines Arena.

Mike Modano spoiled the Devils’ plans to end the series in five games when he deflected a shot Brett Hull had taken from just inside the blue line and sent it between the legs of goaltender Martin Brodeur in the third overtime. The goal, Modano’s first in the finals, sent the series back to Dallas Saturday at Reunion Arena.

“I felt we competed at a high level today,” said Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock, whose team lost its two previous home games to the Devils. “We had to. We had no choice.”

The game was the longest scoreless contest in the Stanley Cup finals. It was also the fourth-longest overtime game in finals history.

“We’re running on fumes right now,” said Modano, who barely got enough of his stick to deflect the puck off the post and past Brodeur. “But everyone feels a lot better.”

Dallas goaltender Ed Belfour stopped 48 shots, including 21 in overtime.

“We were joking before the game,” said Hull, whose first shot was blocked by New Jersey defenseman Scott Stevens but regained possession in time to take the shot that Modano deflected. “We told Eddie, ‘Stop everything and we’ll probably win because we’ll probably find a way to get one.’ ”

They found a way, but it took quite a while.

The Stars are trying to become the second team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals; the only other team to do so was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who overcame a 3-0 deficit against the Detroit Red Wings.

“They’re still alive,” Brodeur said. “Modano was flying through the middle, going to the net, and he just hit it through mid-air and it went through my legs. . . . We have to regroup and try to finish this next game.”

There were so many poignant stories: The Stars were trying to avoid becoming the first defending champion to lose in the finals since the four-time champion New York Islanders relinquished their title to the Edmonton Oilers in 1984. And the Devils were trying to give owner John McMullen a special parting gift before his sale of the club to the YankeeNets conglomerate closes next month.

The Devils, in their first overtime game of the playoffs, dominated the initial overtime period by capitalizing on the Stars’ frequent turnovers to create rushes that began in the neutral zone. Bobby Holik had a half-dozen dangerous chances by himself, using his speed and strength to stake out position around the net only to be frustrated by Belfour. Holik had a game-high eight shots through the first overtime.

Through the first overtime, Belfour had made 37 saves. Brodeur had made 27.

Derian Hatcher, booed by the sellout crowd of 19,040 for his forearm to the head of Devil center Jason Arnott in Game 4, nearly won the game at 4:47 of the second overtime. The trailer on a play with Modano and Hull, Hatcher faced Brodeur one-on-one with ample time to shoot, but Brodeur managed to get the upper part of his blocker on the shot and steer it away.

Alexander Mogilny, acquired by the Devils just before the trading deadline for his game-breaking potential, nearly scored the biggest goal of his career when he broke in on Belfour and rifled a wrist shot that Belfour stopped with his glove 9:57 into the second overtime.

“We hit three posts. Bobby Holik could have had six goals himself,” Devil Coach Larry Robinson said. “Alex [Mogilny] had a breakaway that could have gone in. But Belfour stood on his head and played extremely well.

“We should be disappointed because it could have been all over, but there’s nothing you can do about it. We have to go back there and win another game, that’s all.”

Dallas winger Jamie Langenbrunner, who suffered a sprained right knee in the Western Conference finals and didn’t appear in the finals until Game 4, missed Thursday’s game because of recurring soreness in the knee.

Grant Marshall replaced him on Joe Neiuwendyk’s right side, but Hitchcock said he expects Langenbrunner to play Saturday.

“We have an opportunity here to add some energy into our group, which will help,” he said. “You get to a stage right now where to me, everything is mental. The physical element, to me, for both teams, has now left this series. It is all mental.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE SERIES

Stanley Cup Finals

NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS

Devils lead series, 3-2

* GAME 1: New Jersey 7, Dallas 3

* GAME 2: Dallas 2, New Jersey 1

* GAME 3: New Jersey 2, Dallas 1

* GAME 4: New Jersey 3, Dallas 1

* GAME 5: Dallas 1, New Jersey 0 (3 OTs)

* SATURDAY: Game 6, at Dallas, Ch. 7

* MONDAY: Game 7, at New Jersey, Ch. 7*

* if necessary; all games 5 p.m. Pacific