Facing the facts

Better than you

Since Saturday's 2-1 Dallas Stars loss I've read a lot about the team.

I've read about effort, intensity, face-offs, goal tending, offense, scoring opportunities, focus, getting in front of the net, not taking dumb penalties, good defensive play, good power play, good penalty killing.

I know this is a crazy notion, but could it so happen that the Detroit Red Wings are a better team?

This isn't about Marty Turco at Joe Louis Arena or "Red Wings Suck!" or the rivalry these teams have sowed over the decade as two of the best teams in the NHL during that time.

It's about talent. It's about having goal scorers that are simply better. Defensive forwards that are simply better. Defensemen that are simply better. It's not rocket science or something that even the lightweight hockey fan can't figure out.

They're just better. They're better like the Red Sox were the Rangers last year. Or the Hornets were to the Mavericks this year.

Don't get me wrong, the Stars are really good, but the best they could've hoped for was for the Nashville Predators or Minnesota Wild to get insanely hot and beat the Wings earlier in the playoffs.

We expect our home team to win every game and frankly the Stars have two must-win games at home and I expect them to go toe to toe with the Wings. But it's time to quit talking about face-offs and start realizing the Stars may be outmatched.

For the record: The NHL proved they were 100 times smarter than the NBA for not suspending any of the boneheads involved in the late-game scrap Saturday night. Just let them play.