I Love Beating Dallas

I looooooooooove beating Dallas.

I looooooooooove beating Dallas in overtime even more.

I looooooooooove beating Dallas in overtime because Marty Turco committed a stupid, reckless penalty most of all.

The Stars probably would have won tonight if they would have demonstrated their usual commitment to their tough, hard-working, team-defense philosophy. Instead they tried to go dirty on the Sharks, and the Sharks responded in just the way you have to...they shoved Dallas' penalties right down their throats until the red light behind Turco started to flash.

First, some guy named B.J. Crombeen chose to attack Kyle McLaren because McLaren had the nerve to body check a Dallas Star. There's a time to go after an opponent because he's been chippy...this was not one of those times. McLaren's check was a perfectly legal hockey play, and Crombeen behaved like a fifth-grade bully throwing a temper tantrum. He was correctly given the extra two for instigating, and Joe Pavelski scored on the ensuing power play. (Ah...the system works.)

Then there's Marty Turco. Marty Turco is apparently upset about the fact that hockey players at all levels are taught to drive to the net, and that as a consequence there is frequently traffic around the crease of the goal he is defending...a circumstance that faces, at last count, every goalie everywhere. Marty Turco, though, is special, so he gets the privilege of constantly whining to the officials and maybe, say, taking a whack at Joe Pavelski's face with his stick every now and then. I don't know if I've ever seen a power-play goal as sweet as the one that won the game for the Sharks tonight.

In a way it's too bad, because Turco displayed some brilliant goaltending tonight. Actually, no, I take that back. It's not remotely too bad. Turco lost the game for his team tonight, and I'll be laughing myself to sleep.

Oh, and Turco should be suspended for intent to injure.

Ducks tomorrow.