Dallas Stars, Modano; hang tough!

By Jon Gabrielle,   Stars correspondent

Mike Modano may not have been selected to represent his country for a fourth time at the upcoming winter Olympics in Vancouver, but the 20 year veteran has no qualms about his spot on the Stars roster.

In the middle of a playoff push and with more than a few teammates hurting, the former Stars’ Captain and 3-time Olympian let everyone know that he can still contribute.

With Marty Turco riding the pine again, backup Alex Auld stopped 24 shots and all 11 he faced in the third period to preserve the win, 3-2, for his fourth in five starts.

It was the Stars’ second win in a row and gives them a chance at their first 3 game winning streak of the season, this Sunday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Modano's eyes no longer on Olympic Gold! (photo by skaines/flickr)

But the story of this night was Modano. With the score tied at 2 he picked up loose puck in the slot and wristed home his 12th of the year and second of the night, giving the Stars the lead for good at the 7:01 mark of the third period. His first goal of the game which gave the Stars a 2-1 advantage was vintage Modano. He picked up the puck behind his own net and used a give and go pass along with his speed to go end to end, completing the play with a wraparound that went in off an Avalanche player.

If the 39 year olds’ legs looked fresh, he may have his coaching staff to thank. Marc Crawford and his assistants have decided to tread lightly with Modano’s “off” time, allowing the veteran to miss practices while recuperating.

Last night that recent decision paid big dividends as every game and every point in the standings can mean the difference between making or missing the playoffs. The Stars currently sit alone in 10th place, one point behind Calgary and two points behind both Nashville and Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Colorado center, Paul Stastny said, “he(Modano) is still a dangerous player…and still has one of the best shots. He’s still a threat out there and it showed tonight.”

Modano himself acknowledged his coaches decision afterwards. “I’ve been feeling much better lately. I think it’s just a combination of some valuable time off Marc has given me, and just being able to rest up, and primarily focus on the games.”

With Ribeiro out, Modano picks up slack.(photo by jeremy gattis/flickr)

The compressed schedule due to the 17 day hiatus during the Olympics may put added strain on some of the older teams as well as players around the league. If the Stars want to make a serious run leading up to the break; a well rested sniper like Modano might very well make the difference for this Stars’ team, suddenly beset with the injury bug.

“Time away is good for the brain, for me, at this age. I think I’ve come back a little refreshed after those days off,” Modano said.

And if rest is what is needed, then Modano’s Olympic omission, albeit controversial,  may be exactly what the Dallas brass was secretly hoping for. If that’s the case, and they do make the playoffs with a fresh Modano, a thank you card could be in the mail to Team USA’s executive director, Brian Burke.

And Team USA’s loss, may just be the Stars gain.

Posted by Jon Gabrielle on Jan 30 2010. Filed under Dallas Stars, Pacific, Western Conference. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.