Turning Point: Sakic's production could be key
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
Peter Forsberg was injured for a significant part of this season, missing 33 games. And during other parts, he was ineffective. So, it was logical that the Red Wings focused on stopping Joe Sakic in the conference semifinals and paid a little less attention to Forsberg.
| |  | | | Forsberg |
| |  | | | Joe Sakic |
Boy, what a mistake that was.
In the conference finals, Forsberg will be a target, and the series could hinge on Sakic's production.
With one goal, a minus-1 and 11 shots on net, Sakic did next to nothing in the series. But Forsberg killed the Red Wings, scoring four times -- to go along with two assists, a plus-3 and 12 shots in a relatively low-scoring, five-game victory.
In the end, Forsberg recovered his tag as the best all-around player out there, and despite Sakic's inability to get any offense going, the Red Wings went down in a ball of flames.
Against Dallas, things will be different. Forsberg will be given a rough time from the start. Look for players like Richard Matvichuk and Derian Hatcher to play very physical with Forsberg and not give him a lot of space.
Interestingly, Forsberg wasn't overlooked after the first few games against Detroit, and it didn't matter. He produced anyway. For the sake of argument, let's assume that he'll get his chances -- and points. But the question is whether Sakic will. And further, will he cash in on any chances and have an offensive impact on the series.
One thing Sakic can do regardless of a slump is get a shot off in traffic. He has made a trademark of using a screen to get off a wrist shot or snap shot. The combination of the screen, his quick release and the velocity of his shot make him dangerous, not only because the puck may go in the net but also because the blind-sided goalie may leave a fat rebound even if he makes a save.
There's little doubt that Mike Modano and Forsberg are the most dangerous players left in the postseason, but Sakic could be every bit as dangerous should he find his groove. He's a lot like Philly's Mark Recchi; he does a lot of things other players can't, and it's a matter of it translating into points and an explicit impact.
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com. |
