updated 10:42 p.m. ET May 14, 2008

DALLAS - Maybe it was payback, maybe it was just good fortune. The Dallas Stars aren’t going to quibble.

All that matters is Tomas Holmstrom’s rear end — and possibly his reputation — cost the Detroit Red Wings a goal and the Stars took full advantage, avoiding the humiliation of getting swept out of the Western Conference finals.

Minutes after Detroit’s lead was taken away, Dallas took its first lead of the entire series thanks in part to an officiating non-call. Then, Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow added third-period goals, sending the Stars past the Red Wings 3-1 on Wednesday night.

“It was a pretty intense, desperate game from everyone on our side,” said Dallas’ Marty Turco, who made 34 saves and staved off 6-on-4 and 6-on-3 threats in the final minute. “We needed that to be successful. We’ll have to continue like that just to have a chance.”

Game 5 is Saturday in Detroit, a two-day break the Stars are glad to have to rest their bodies and, they hope, for the Red Wings to dwell on their missed opportunity.

“Doubt starts to creep in a little bit,” Morrow said. “We’ve got a couple of days here to let that sink in.”

Detroit lost for the first time since April 16, ending a nine-game winning streak that was the franchise’s longest in a single postseason. Yet the Red Wings can always wonder how differently this game might’ve played out if they kept the 1-0 lead they appeared to have taken when a shot by Pavel Datsyuk hit the back of the net.

The goal was waved off immediately, with officials telling Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom that Holmstrom’s backside interfered with Turco in the crease. Replays didn’t necessarily confirm that, but it didn’t matter because it’s not a reviewable play. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said Holmstrom’s history of crowding and bumping goalies — as he did to Turco earlier this series — likely factored in.

“That’s a reputation call, totally,” Babcock said. “Kelly (Sutherland) is a good referee. He just blew the call. That’s life.”

Turco said he was “not really out there thinking about calls getting evened up.”

“I couldn’t move freely to make that save on the shot,” Turco said. “I really don’t think it’s a bad call. I don’t think it’s black-and-white like it used to be. It’s the referee’s discretion.”

With commissioner Gary Bettman in the building, officials hardly discussed Dallas’ first goal, scored by Loui Eriksson while he was clearly in the crease.

Eriksson insisted the puck beat him into the crease, which made his presence legal. Detroit goalie Chris Osgood said Eriksson “was right on top of me.”

Officials went with Eriksson’s version.

“It hit my body and then hit the stick,” Eriksson said. “I was just standing there. I didn’t hit it with my hand. I knew it was good.”

Osgood, who had been 9-0 this postseason, said the rule “keeps floating around.”

“I don’t know if there’s a force field around the crease or how it works,” he said. “I’m not quite sure about the logic or interpretation.”

Eriksson’s goal put Dallas ahead — finally.

It only took 219 minutes, 37.3 seconds ... and it only lasted 1 minute, 12 seconds, although it felt longer because of the second intermission.

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