Andy Moog was the driving force to the ’96-’97 Stars opening a 3-0 series lead. (via stars.nhl.com)

The series started with a 2-1 win for the 7th-seeded ’96-’97 Stars as Mike Modano‘s goal early in the second being the game-winner. Goalie Andy Moog stopped 25 of 26 shots against in the win. Then, in Game 2, Moog registered a 42-save shutout as the ’96-’97 Stars won 4-0. Defensemen Darryl Sydor and Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen all posted three-point efforts. Then, in Game 3, the two sides combined for six goals in the second period with four of them coming from the ’96-’97 Stars. They opened up a 3-0 series lead by winning Game 3, 5-3, with Pat Verbeek‘s goal and two assists leading the way. However, Modano did post two goals and an assist in the loss for the 2nd-seeded ’99-’00 Stars. Goalie Ed Belfour played his best game of the series in Game 4 when he stopped all 42 shots against to lead the ’99-’00 Stars to a 2-0 win. Modano scored just 40 seconds into the game and then defenseman Richard Matvichuk scored late in the third as they 2nd seed avoided a sweep.

They then avoided elimination with a 5-4 double overtime win in Game 6. The ’96-’97 Stars scored all four of their goals in the first period and the ’99-’00 Stars chipped away the rest of the game. Sydor scored a PP goal late in the third to foce overtime and then Jamie Langenbrunner scored the game-winner on the PP six and a half minutes into the second overtime. In Game 6, Modano scored late in the first to give the ’99-’00 Stars a 2-1 lead. However, Modano netted a PP goal in the second for the ’96-’97 Stars, which tied the game. Then, Sydor gave the ’99-’00 Stars a 3-2 lead almost seven minutes into the third, but with less than two minutes left, Lehtinen scored on the PP for the ’96-’97 Stars, which forced another overtime. The ’96-’97 Stars had an unlikely hero score in that overtime to clinch the series as defenseman Craig Ludwig scored at the 14:16 mark. With this series now complete, the 7th and 8th seeds have advanced to the Semifinal Round.

GAME 1:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’96-’97 DAL – 2   ’99-’00 DAL – 1   (1-0   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: G – Andy Moog (’96-’97 DAL) – W   1.00 GAA   .962 SV% (25 SV’s)

2nd Star: G – Ed Belfour (’99-’00 DAL) – L   2.00 GAA   .933 SV% (28 SV’s)

3rd Star: C – Joe Nieuwendyk (’96-’97 DAL) – 1 G   0 A   1 P   +1   4 S

GAME 2:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’96-’97 DAL – 4   ’99-’00 DAL – 0   (2-0   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: G – Andy Moog (’96-’97 DAL) – W   0.00 GAA   1.000 SV% (42 SV’s)   SO

2nd Star: D – Sergei Zubov (’96-’97 DAL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   +2   6 S

3rd Star: RW – Jere Lehtinen (’96-’97 DAL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   +2   3 S

GAME 3:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’96-’97 DAL – 5   ’99-’00 DAL – 3   (3-0   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Pat Verbeek (’96-’97 DAL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   Even   3 S

2nd Star: C – Mike Modano (’99-’00 DAL) – 2 G   1 A   3 P   Even   11 S

3rd Star: C – Mike Modano (’96-’97 DAL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   +1   4 S

GAME 4:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’99-’00 DAL – 2   ’96-’97 DAL – 0   (3-1   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: G – Ed Belfour (’99-’00 DAL) – W   0.00 GAA   1.000 SV% (42 SV’s)   SO

2nd Star: G – Andy Moog (’96-’97 DAL) – L   2.00 GAA   .939 SV% (31 SV’s)

3rd Star: C – Mike Modano (’99-’00 DAL) – 1 G   0 A   1 P   +1   6 S

GAME 5:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’99-’00 DAL – 5   ’96-’97 DAL – 4   (2OT)   (3-2   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: G – Ed Belfour (’99-’00 DAL) – W   4.00 GAA   .940 SV% (63 SV’s)

2nd Star: D – Sergei Zubov (’96-’97 DAL) – 0 G   3 A   3 P   -2   1 S

3rd Star: C – Mike Modano (’96-’97 DAL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   -1   7 S

GAME 6:

GAME SUMMARY:  ’96-’97 DAL – 4   ’99-’00 DAL – 3   (OT)   (4-2   ’96-’97 DAL)

STARS OF THE GAME:

1st Star: RW – Jere Lehtinen (’96-’97 DAL) – 2 G   0 A   2 P   +1   3 S

2nd Star: C – Mike Modano (’99-’00 DAL) – 1 G   2 A   3 P   +1   5 S

3rd Star: RW – Brett Hull (’96-’97 DAL) – 1 G   1 A   2 P   +1   5 S

Up next is the 3-6 matchup between the ’07-’08 Stars and the ’93-’94 Stars!