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MIKE MODANO'S PLAYOFF DIARY - MAY 15 Stars feel urgency to win Game 5 05/15/99 You can feel the pressure starting to come. Because of the regular-season success we've had the past couple of years, and with the way everybody's jumped on board with this playoff hockey atmosphere, the expectations are getting bigger every day and there's a pressure to perform - and win - at that level. I think you're going to see a real sense of urgency from everybody on Saturday, a lot of emotion and a lot of energy in the first period. We were in this position last year and came back and had a great Game 5, and it carried over to Game 6. It's a matter of not worrying so much about the breaks that [the Blues] had and start worrying about what we can control. You can't control the way the puck bounces, you can't control the deflections, and you can't control the goals that are called back. We had our share of breaks in the first round. I think we used them all up. From here on out, it's going to be a matter of playing solid hockey and staying mistake free. I think we've strived to be players that are hard to play against. We've used the words "hard" and "tough" the past two days. We have to be hard to play against and tough in the physical areas. In Game 4, I don't think it would have mattered who was on my line. My back was to the wall. It was a night I didn't want to be denied. It was a big game for me personally to to get back into the series. But I think the line changes we made were necessary The way that you have to play against St. Louis is really strong with the puck. You have to be really good along the boards and down low. Me and Brett [Hull] and Jere [Lehtinen] are players who like to get in and get out and make the quick play and take it to the net. In this series, you've got to hold on to it for maybe 10 or 15 seconds, and be strong on the puck and not throw it away. There's so much intensity on defense that you have to work harder with the puck and without it. We developed a good chemistry, but now there's a good mix of everybody on each line. There's speed, talent, finesse and grittiness on each one. I think that's a good change against this team. The power play's really going to be a key. It's getting to the point where we've got to get back to the basics and outwork the guys on the other team's penalty killing. Five games into a series, the penalty killers get a bead on what your strengths are and what you're going to do. So you've got to keep changing things, keep them on their toes and keep them thinking. Otherwise, you get into a pattern and teams pick up on that and they know your tendencies. Simplifying is the key because the Blues do a good job of stepping out of the side and coming up like Detroit. They knock down those wrist shots at the net. So you're going to have to hammer it hard and low, and keep them from knocking those things down. Once the puck gets to the net, that's when those lanes start opening up and the back-door plays and the passes off of shots come. We're not really panicking yet. Our penalty killers have shut down their power play, so it's pretty even, just like the series. Mike Modano's diary, as told to Staff Writer Bill Nichols, will appear in The News during the playoffs.