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Posted on Wed, Apr. 16, 2008

RINKSIDE JOURNAL

Disgruntled fans losing patience while Stars are losing momentum

By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS -- Booing is an art form, perfected by decades of practice.

So it is understandable why Dallas Stars fans were a little tentative at the end of the first period Tuesday. A fandom does not become Philly-ish, with invectives flowing as easily as pleasantries, instantaneously, no matter how sorry Dallas was early.

In fact, fans were probably a little shocked they had to boo at all considering how well the Stars had played in Anaheim. But by the end of the second, they had grown into the role of angry.

Boos were ringing in everybody's ears.

"We deserved it," Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas said. "Besides the last game, we have been pretty awful at home in the month of March."

With apologies to Dave

In honor of the great David Letterman, we present the Top 3 1/3 reasons the Stars asked fans to wear black, a blackout, to Game 3.

No. 3: Just in case fans were coming straight from the Rangers game, they wouldn't have to change.

No. 2: Because asking fans to bring barf bags might have spoiled the surprise.

And No. 1 1/3 : What else do you wear to a funeral?

10 seconds with Zubov

"How is Zubie?" is a daily question in Starsland. What coaches, players and fans are desperately waiting to hear is "available for selection."

The impatience is understandable, considering he missed every single game this season, or at least it felt like it. I was starting to think he might be dead and the Stars were just not telling anybody until I saw him walking around at practice.

Me: "How are you?"

Z: "Fine,"

Me: "Fine fine? Or fine not fine?

Him: "Fine."

Me: "You've been missed."

Z: "It doesn't look like anybody has missed me."

Me: "They have. You look good?"

Z: "So do you?"

Me: "Mine was more of a question."

Z: "I know. I was choosing to not answer it."

And so what we know for sure about Zubie: He is not dead, he is fine and his sense of humor is really fine. His return remains iffy but, considering what happened Tuesday, the whole "Is he missed?" thing has probably been cleared up.

Ready to PK

Our good friend Mike Ribeiro has done a lot of good things for the Stars this season -- scoring, passing, power plays.

Defense? Not so much.

Ribeiro is not in danger of Selke consideration and he probably wouldn't want to be. He's a scorer, thank you. Yet, somewhat shockingly, his only goal of this series came thanks to him stealing a pass and poking the puck to himself for a breakaway.

But he doesn't play defense, right?

"I know, weird," Ribeiro said. "And if I had known you get breakaways, I'd have been doing this all along."

He was teasing, I think. No, of course, he was. This is the time of the year where everybody plays defense. Even Ribeiro.

"Maybe, Tip will use me on the PK," he said.

Uhm, don't hold your breath, Mike.

You said it

The Stars might have brought a shoddy effort in Game 3 but not you. You, the loyal Stars fans, brought the funny with pretty original signs and I am only sorry the best one flirted with breaking Star-Telegram family values rules.

The best of the rest:

Eat more duck.

Duck, duck lose.

And my personal favorite: The sign fans sent to the Stars by booing them at the end of the first and second periods and not returning to their seats for the third.

Hopefully, they paid attention to that last one.