If you’ve watched the NHL on television for at least a couple of years, you’re surely aware by now of this oft-repeated factoid: Only two teams have ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven series in the playoffs. The Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers are trying to make it four.

Dallas got the breaks in Wednesday’s Game 4, holding off elimination with a 3-1 win as a +150 home dog. The next day, it was Philly’s turn to shine in a 4-2 victory that had the flavor of the Broad Street Bullies of the mid-70s. The Flyers collected 23 hits to Pittsburgh’s 18 and cashed in at +155.

The Red Wings will be gigantic favorites at home for Saturday’s Game 6. Top scorer Johan Franzen (12 goals in 11 games) remains out with a concussion, while in the Eastern final, the Flyers hope to have defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn ready for their Game 6 on Sunday.

With their backs against the wall, the Dallas Stars made a game out of it on Wednesday night at home and in doing so they finally won a game in their series against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring three goals to their one. It’s about time Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow showed up…

“It was a pretty intense, desperate game from everyone on our side,” said Dallas’ goaltender Marty Turco, who made 34 saves on the night. “We needed that to be successful. We’ll have to continue like that just to have a chance.”

In order to do that, however, they’ll have to pull one out of the hat in Detroit, where Turco hasn’t had the best of luck.

Currently, the Dallas Stars are 75/1 odds of winning the Stanley Cup; and the Detroit Red Wings are the 1/2 odds on favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Over in the Western Conference you’ve got the Dallas Stars taking on the Detroit Red Wings; and over in the Eastern Conference it’s the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. We’re finally down to four teams.

The Detroit Red Wings have won 10 Stanley Cup titles in its history, more than any other American franchise, but nothing since 2002. The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, have won only one Stanley Cup and that was back in 1998-99.

For the time being, let’s forget the obvious skills advantage the Red Wings have over the Stars and instead focus on how these two teams have played together in the past. The Red Wings have won three of the four regular-season meetings they’ve had with Dallas. And the last time they played each other in the playoffs was back in the 1998 conference finals, when the Red Wings beat Dallas in six games en route to their second straight Stanley Cup crown. My prediction? Detroit in five.

Over in the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers will be battling a rivalry all of their own.

“It’s going to be a spirited series, no question about that,” Flyers coach John Stevens told reporters.

“If you want a rivalry, there’s one right there,” Penguins star center Sidney Crosby told the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. “I’m sure everyone’s well aware of it. As players, we know that the playoffs are always intense, but it throws some spice into it when it’s Pittsburgh-Philadelphia.”

My prediction? The Red Wings in seven.

The Dallas Stars are listed at 3/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup; the Detroit Red Wings are at 3/2 odds to win; the Flyers are 11/2 odds to win the Cup; and the Penguins are the 2/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.

You can bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs here.