  Marty Turco has been stellar in 2008 and is a major reason the Stars are back in the conference final for the first time since 2000. (AP Photo/LM Otero) |
Guess what? Marty Turco knows he has a terrible record at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Furthermore, the Dallas Stars goaltender doesn't really care that he has not won a game in 10 professional appearances at the Joe.
"Someone said, 'It makes a great story line,' " Turco, 0-7-2 with a .882 save percentage in Detroit, said yesterday during a conference call. "I said: 'Well, I'm not a reporter. So do whatever the hell you guys want.' There's not anything that was done in the past, positive or negative, that really affects you going into the playoffs. Our focus is about the next save, the next shift."
Fresh off a 61-save performance in Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks, a match that went to four overtime periods, Turco and the Stars will be in Detroit to face the Red Wings tomorrow night in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Conference final. Maligned in the past for not getting it done in the playoffs -- Turco's career post-season record is 19-22 -- the Sault Ste. Marie native has been stellar in 2008 and is a major reason the Stars are back in the conference final for the first time since 2000. Turco's name is being mentioned in the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
But for Turco to be considered seriously for the award as playoffs MVP, he will have to win in Detroit. He actually has done so in the past, when he spent four years at the University of Michigan from 1994-98.
"I have a lot of fond memories from Joe Louis in my college days," Turco said. "I played there 20-plus times in college. It's just such a great environment."
From the Wings' point of view, the environment has not changed much this spring. The Wings have been resting since May 1, when they completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche. Plenty has been made of the production of forward Johan Franzen, who has 11 goals in 10 games, but the Wings would be nowhere without 1-2 knockout punch of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Both are up for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, and both are an offensive threat on each shift.
"The thing we like about them is they're so usable in all situations: Up a goal, down a goal, last minute, first minute, power play, penalty kill," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They share hockey sense in the fact they see it happening before most people do and they play with pace."
Franzen has taken to hanging around the opponent's net and in Tomas Holmstrom, the Wings have one of the best net disturbers in the NHL. Turco knows the traffic jam is coming, but also realizes there is little way around it.
"Their willingness just as a team to get to the net is important, especially at this time of year," Turco said. "That's going to be a factor in this series, the ability to battle in front and for me to see pucks."
The buildup for the series has not included the bad-blood theory that has permeated the days leading up to the start of the Eastern Conference final involving the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. But Zetterberg expects fireworks.
"We haven't played them in a while in playoffs," Zetterberg said. "But for sure it's going to be tough and there's going to be some bad blood before this is over."
