(Best E Casino) - The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup finals tonight, when they go for a four-game sweep of the Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Red Wings, winner of the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best team in the regular season, have jumped out to a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven series. After notching wins on its home ice in Games 1 and 2, Detroit posted a 5-2 decision in Dallas on Monday.
Since being tied with Nashville at two games apiece in the opening round, the Red Wings have rattled off nine straight victories. That winning streak included a four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the conference semifinals. The nine straight wins is also a franchise playoff mark for consecutive victories in one postseason.
Pavel Datsyuk recorded his first career playoff hat trick to lift the Red Wings to Monday's Game 3 victory at American Airlines Center.
Henrik Zetterberg added a goal and two assists for the Red Wings, who are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since winning the title in 2002.
Chris Osgood made 16 saves in the victory to remain perfect in the postseason. The 35-year-old netminder has won nine consecutive playoff games -- all this season -- tying his own franchise record set from the tail end of the 1998 and start of the 1999 playoffs.
Detroit was again without forward Johan Franzen, the leading goal-scorer of the playoffs with 12 tallies, who missed his second straight game because of concussion-like symptoms. Franzen, who has 27 goals in 27 games dating back to the regular season, is also expected to miss tonight's contest.
Nicklas Grossman and Brad Richards scored for the Stars, who look to stave off elimination in Game 4.
Marty Turco turned aside only 16-of-21 shots in defeat.
Dallas beat Anaheim in six games in the opening round, but is just 1-5 since taking a three games to none lead in the conference semifinals against San Jose.
The Stars, who are already without centerman Stu Barnes (concussion) and defenseman Philippe Boucher (hip), missed the two-way play of forward Jere Lehtinen on Monday. Lehtinen, a three-time Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward, suffered a leg injury in Game 2 and was forced to sit out the following test. The 34-year-old Finn is expected to miss tonight's test as well.
Dallas forwards Brenden Morrow (shoulder) and Mike Modano (head) left Game 3 briefly but both returned by the end of the contest and are expected to play tonight.
The Red Wings are in the conference finals for a second straight year. Detroit lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim in six, hard-fought games last season.
The Stars are in the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Dallas ousted Anaheim in six games in the first round and raced out to a 3-0 series lead against San Jose in the conference semifinals before moving on with a 2-1 victory in the fourth overtime of Game 6.
The Red Wings won three of the four regular-season meetings with Dallas this season. The Stars found goals hard to come by in those contests, as they managed to score just five times in the four tests. Dallas has just four goals in three games in this series and has never held a lead in the set.
Detroit has won all three of its postseason meetings with the Stars franchise. The teams last met in the 1998 conference finals when the Red Wings beat Dallas in six games en route to their second straight Stanley Cup crown.
The Stars had a solid 23-16-2 record as the home club this season, while the Red Wings were terrific on the road with a 25-12-4 mark.
If necessary, Game 5 of this series will take place in Detroit on Saturday afternoon.
