Paul Sancya / AP

Dallas goalie Marty Turco makes one of his 38 saves against Detroit in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Saturday. The Stars won 2-1 to cut the Red Wings' lead in the series to 3-2. Game 6 is in Dallas on Monday.

Turco, a seven-year veteran, helped the Stars get off to a good start at both ends of the rink.

After making a key stop early in the game, Turco skated away from the net to play a puck in the left circle midway through the first period.

“He’s the best in the game at it,” Daley said. “He’s like a third defenseman because he passes it better than most of us.”

Turco got the puck up the ice to Niklas Hagman, who passed it to Brad Richards. His drop pass between his legs set up Daley for his first goal of the playoffs.

The Red Wings tied the game with 4½ minutes left in the first period, snapping an 0-for-14 skid with an extra skater. Hudler scored off his own rebound, shooting the puck off the inside of the left post with 4 seconds left on the power play.

The Stars took the lead shortly after Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios went off the ice for a line change. Lundqvist got into open ice off a pass from Turco and beat Osgood at 6:04 of the second period.

Detroit struggled on offense in the third period. Its comeback chances were hurt when Tomas Holmstrom was called for a roughing penalty as he skated by Dallas’ bench with more than 7 minutes left.

“To call that undisciplined play would be an understatement,” Ott said. “You don’t punch somebody on the bench as you’re skating by.”

Notes: The Stars scratched Lehtinen (leg), Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms), Philippe Boucher (hip) and Mark Fistric (mononucleosis). ... Before the game, former Red Wing Vladimir Konstantinov was walking briskly with the help of a walker near Detroit’s dressing room. Konstantinov almost lost his life in a limo crash in 1997, six days after the star defenseman helped the franchise win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years. ... Among those in the crowd was former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason.

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