• E-mail

Predictions are hard.

That's just the way it is.

And they're even harder with this team.

We have to make predictions – that's part of the business. People seem to like them. It drives traffic to our Web site. It's part of the fun of being a fan.

You always hear about talking around the water cooler or a bet at the bar. That's what predictions are for the people in this industry – a way to spark conversation.

That said, I have no idea what the Stars are going to do anymore. Night to night, period to period, shift to shift, it's really hard to predict.

Maybe it's because they are in transition and are still getting used to some pieces that will play important parts, such as Brad Richards and Mike Ribeiro. Maybe it's because the kids and the veterans on the blueline have to be darn near perfect for things to work out. Maybe it's because the ever-changing level of playoff officiating really allows special teams to play an important role in the outcome of games.

Maybe it's simply parity.

I do believe the Stars will come out hard and give a great effort in Game 4. But will that effort be too hard? Will they be overaggressive and take key penalties? Will they work so hard at trying to score the first goal that they will be overexposed and give up a key scoring chance on the counterattack? Will Marty Turco be able to eat up those early chances the way he did in Games 1 and 2 and allow the Stars to get the first goal? Or will Turco get beat, forcing the Stars to play from behind?

Your guess is as good as mine. I can see all of the scenarios in my mind. I just can't pick the one that's most likely to come true.

The strange thing is I find it oddly comforting. So much of being in the media today is trying to report the news before it happens. Right now, I just want to sit back and watch. Maybe that's the way we're supposed to follow sports.

Q: I know the atmosphere is different in the arena than it is watching it on TV, but it's a total embarrassment to watch a playoff game and see the fans in the lower level arrive late (this is where the camera is pointed), and then sitting in their seats and obviously sitting on their towels. It makes Dallas look like we have no hockey fans.

If the fans in the expensive lower level seats can't show some enthusiasm except when we score, then they need to either give their tickets to a fan who would love to be there. No wonder the team plays better on the road – the fans in the other arenas yell, scream, wave their towels and support their team. We get energy from their energy.

There was no energy from the fans in the arena until the end of the third period. Maybe the fans are one reason why the Stars never make it to the next level of the playoffs because the fans don't support them the way they should.

Elaine S.

HEIKA: I agree with you on the appearance of uncaring fans in the lower bowl taking energy out of the arena. However, we live in a capitalistic society, and money does talk. The people with money get the power and the best things, and they get to do with those best things what they want.

As much as we want sports teams to be public trusts, they are still private enterprises designed to make money.

I will couch this by saying that it's not everyone in the lower bowl, just enough to make a clear delineation between the upper bowl and the lower bowl.

Q: Why is Antti Miettinen out of the Stars lineup? Do I need to come down there?

Jody K.

HEIKA: Everyone has their favorites, but you have to say that Miettinen has been given plenty of chances over the last two seasons. He was a healthy scratch in the playoffs last season, as well, so he obviously is not doing things that the coaches like.

And while it's easy to say the coaches make bad decisions, I think you also have to remember that they want to win worse than you do. They would take their own kid out of the lineup if it meant winning a playoff game.

I think Miettinen walks a fine line. He's very solid in several areas of his game, but he's not great in any. Yes, he scores goals on a line with Ribeiro and Morrow, but Jere Lehtinen does it better. Yes, he checks hard and covers a lot of space, but Stu Barnes and Steve Ott do that better. Yes, he is a versatile player with a lot of energy, but Nik Hagman does that better.

They had Miettinen out there on the right wing with Hagman and Toby Petersen at different times in practice Wednesday, so he might in for Game 4.

Q: With Nick Hagman scoring 20-plus goals in the regular season, why is he only playing about 11 minutes a game on the fourth line?

Bob in California

HEIKA: In regard to Hagman, the coaches do a lot of juggling when they're seeking the right combinations. Sometimes, when the spinner stops and they hit on a good combination, it leaves people in strange places.

Right now, Joel Lundqvist is playing well with Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson, so he gets to stay there. Dave Tippett has put Hagman on the fourth line, but he's also trying to mix him in on the Modano line every now and then to give some extra shifts.

It will be interesting in Game 4, because we could see Antti Miettinen come in on the right wing. He and Hagman had chemistry with Jussi Jokinen earlier in the year, so it will be interesting to see if they can generate chemistry with Toby Petersen (if that's what the coaches do indeed try).

Q: I read Joe Nieuwendyk tendered his resignation to the Florida Panthers last week. I'm sure there were some issues with that franchise that must've really gotten to him, and I know he's too much of a gentleman to talk about it. All that being said, now that he's free, what are the chances the Stars hook up with him in some capacity? I think he'd be a great front office guy like Guy Carbonneau was, and maybe something of an instructor for some of the young guys. Not to mention, you can't have a better role model for the city and the young prospects.

Timm J.

HEIKA: I think there is some chance the Stars talk to him, but I'm not sure where he fits. They have co-GMs and a consultant in Dave Taylor. I think they also have to be prepared for Mike Modano retiring at any given moment. I believe there is an expectation that Modano will play a role in the organization going forward.

It would be nice to have a person of Nieuwendyk's character, but he needs an important role. Carbonneau left because he felt there was not enough to do, and Nieuwendyk has the same personality. He's an intense competitor who wants to make a difference. It would be tough to ask him to be a role player within the organization.

Q: Gotta ask – was Game 3 just a hiccup for the Stars, or is it the beginning of a full-fledged meltdown? I figured the Ducks would push back in Game 3, but I also figured the Stars would, too ... just not so late that it would be all for naught.

Karen C.

HEIKA: Hey Karen, it's so hard to tell with this team.

The one trend I do detect is that the Stars play much better when they are the underdogs, when they are expected to lose. I don't know if that breeds the pack mentality they are trying to achieve or if it simply allows them to play with less pressure.

The Stars had nothing to lose in the two games on the road, because everyone was predicting them to lose, and they played loose and free. Now, when they know they will be seen as failures if they lose the two games at home (because they came in with a 2-0 lead in the series), I think that plays some part in their mental approach to the game.

We'll see what happens and how they handle it. I have gotten to the point where I honestly have no sense of what this team is going to do from game to game.

Q: How much do the Stars' players know about Sergei Zubov's health? Dave Tippett is cagey with the press for strategic reasons, but how is he with the players on this matter? I wonder if the tough month of March resulted, in part, to a letdown when the players realized that the one they were compensating for wouldn't be back very soon. I know there were also other factors for the dismal month, but if there is any substance to this thought, we could have an insight into the psyche of the team.

Mark in Colorado

HEIKA: Zubov is around the team and has lots of good friends there, so I think the players are pretty plugged in. That said, Zubov looked fine while he was in the middle of his original rehab in March, and only decided near the end of his rehab that things weren't good. So, my guess is that even Zubov is not sure how well this thing is going with his sports hernia.

I really do believe it is "day to day," and I trust Tippett when he says it is not close yet.

Q: Same ol' Stars, Mike. They get your hopes up, and then on home ice they become the March team that can't play three periods. Until the third period, they didn't have a player that played like he belonged in the NHL.The players played liked they were really intimidated.

Thanks, Richard D.

HEIKA: I'm not sure it was that bad, but they definitely took a step down. The key is the defense being able to get the puck out cleanly, and Marty Turco being able to clean up messes early in the game. Both of those things happened in Games 1 and 2. They did not happen in Game 3. If the Stars can simply make smart plays early and not have to play from behind out of the gate, I think they have a pretty decent chance at winning Game 4.

Q: Loui Eriksson appears to have played quite well for the Stars down the stretch. Playing with Brad Richards certainly helps, but how good do you think he can be own his own? Does he have star power or will he be the proverbial "contributor" his whole career?

Jim R. in Plano

HEIKA: I don't see star power in Eriksson's future. Then again, I don't see offensive star power in the future of anybody who plays for the Stars. This is a team that must exist on 70-point scorers and strong two-way play. My guess is Eriksson will put up Jere Lehtinen-like numbers (25 goals, 50 points) and might be in the running for a Selke Trophy one day.

Q: Is there something wrong with Brad Richards? It seems to me everyone went out of their way to heap praise on him for an assist in an otherwise pedestrian outing in Game 1. I thought he was going to be the missing piece to the puzzle when the trade was made. Now it smells like we may have a diva with a fragile ego. Hope I am wrong.

HEIKA: I think your instincts on the overpraise are right, but your reasons are off. Richards comes from a very humble background and is a very quiet guy. His success came very quickly, and somewhat surprisingly (he was only a third-round draft choice, 64th overall). He won the Conn Smythe when he was 24 and got his $7.8 million contract when he was 25, and that sort of overwhelmed him. Now, instead of being the plucky sidekick for Vincent Lecavalier, he has the pressure of performing like a superstar every game, and that weighs on him.

I think Dave Tippett senses the pressure Richards puts on himself, and he's trying to take a little of that off, trying to tell him he's doing a good job, so just relax and play your game. I do think Richards was much better in Game 1. He found the puck on his stick in a couple of key scoring chances, and just sort of flubbed them. If he plays the game he has normally played in the playoffs, he will continue to get those scoring chances, and he will probably convert those scoring chances going forward. If he does convert, that would be huge for the Stars, who need all of the help scoring they can get.

Q: Was there any discernable or noticeable shift in the feel of the team in coming home? Did the looseness, happiness or confidence dissipate upon landing? Do you think that, after the upcoming games on Sunday or Tuesday, the first period from Tuesday night's 4-2 loss will be seen as the turning point of the series?

Paul in Coppell

HEIKA: The team is a little less loose now, but it was fine before Game 3 (from what I could tell). There are so many turning points in a series. The third period of Game 2 could be a turning point if the Stars win. Game 4 could be the ultimate turning point. But, sure, if the Ducks win, the first period of Game 3 is a definite turning point.