Game Recap

DETROIT 2, DALLAS 0 DALLAS (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings looked right at home in Reunion Arena. Holding Dallas to only 14 shots Sunday, the Red Wings won the opener of their Western Conference finals, 2-0, by doing their best impression of the Stars' winning formula this season. Chris Osgood benefited from the Red Wings' suffocating defense to gain an easy fourth career playoff shutout. Martin Lapointe led the offense with a goal and an assist. The Stars finished with the top point total in the regular season, but failed to show any of the offense that made them the Presidents' Trophy winner. "Detroit is a team that has put a lot of focus on their checking. Their offense is really just flowing from their good play in the defensive zone," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "When they get the lead, they make it very tough on you, tough to get anything started." The defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings got the early jump in the best-of-7 series which continues with Game 2 Tuesday at Reunion Arena. The Stars' power play was ineffective early and 0-for-5 overall, managing only three shots while former Stars left wing Brent Gilchrist was sent off for goalie interference. Dallas also had no shots during a 46-second two-man advantage, courtesy of a cross-checking penalty on Jamie Macoun at 10:27. The Red Wings were shotless on their first power-play attempt, but scored on their third power play of the game. They went 1-for-6 overall. Detroit capitalized on a four-on-three advantage just 57 seconds into the second, when Slava Kozlov slid a rebound into an open net for his fourth goal of the playoffs. Stars goaltender Ed Belfour, who stopped 21 of 23 shots, was caught out of position when Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom's shot bounced off Lapointe's skate and landed beside the crease. Detroit added another when Lapointe ran over Stars right wing Pat Verbeek and put a shot past Belfour for his sixth of the playoffs at 13:38. Macoun and defender Bob Rouse assisted. "Lapointe moved across and knocked me down," Stars right wing Pat Verbeek said of Lapointe's goal. "The way that's been called all year, that's a penalty." Dallas couldn't mount much of an attack early in the third period, going 0-for-4 on shots and turning the puck over several times. Detroit coach Scotty Bowman credited his team's continuing hard-working defense. "After we got two goals, I didn't think we sat back," Bowman said. Detroit Red Wings 2, DALLAS STARS 0 1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL --- --- --- ----- DETROIT 0 2 0 2 DALLAS 0 0 0 0 FIRST PERIOD - SCORING: None. PENALTIES: Gilchrist, Det (goalie interference), 10:27; Macoun, Det (cross-checking), 11:41; Modano, Dal (holding), 13:51; Lind, Dal (roughing), 17:39. SECOND PERIOD - SCORING: 1, Detroit, Kozlov 4 (Lapointe, Lidstrom), :57 (pp). 2, Detroit, Lapointe 6 (Macoun, Rouse), 13:38. PENALTIES: Verbeek, Dal (high-sticking), :27; Hatcher, Dal (slashing), :32; Shanahan, Det (slashing), :32; McCarty, Det (slashing), 6:16; Osgood, Det, served by Kozlov (interference), 10:03; Modano, Dal (hooking), 17:30. THIRD PERIOD - SCORING: None. PENALTIES: Hatcher, Dal (elbowing), 8:25; Fedorov, Det (hooking), 9:53; Zubov, Dal (hooking), 12:04. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- DETROIT 7 6 10 23 DALLAS 6 4 4 14 POWER-PLAY: Detroit 1 of 6; Dallas 0 of 4. GOALIES: Detroit, Osgood 9-4 (14 shots-14 saves). Dallas, Belfour 8-4 (23-21). Referee-Don Koharski. Linesmen-Gord Broseker, Brian Murphy. A-16,928 (16,928).