"One MO Year!" for the Greatest American Hero

There are plenty of tributes upon the interwebs today regarding what may potentially be Mike Modano's last home game in a Stars sweater.

Hockey gods forbid.

So I won't go into detail about what he has meant to all American hockey players or to the city of Dallas and his contributions locally. Nice round-ups of the like can be found on the Defending Big D blog here.

However, in the event the gentleman truly is done and hangs up the skates (after ending his career playing in the North Stars' former home, Minnesota versus the Wild as a fitting, but bitter, salute IMO) and perhaps moves on to hockey ops or management or spends much of his time on the green, I want to be there tonight. And I will.

I attended the first Stars home game in 1993 and was able to watch Mikey MO on many occasions throughout the years. I went to the parade after the Stars won the Cup in 1999 and saw Mike lift 'er up for the crowd.

By being there tonight, I hope to shout 'Thank you' just loud enough to penetrate the collective psyche of the barn. I'll be kicking it upper deck, but I think it will make a difference. At least for me.

And if the fans in the upper bowl feel so inclined, I hope they follow me in my mantra we have been promoting on JabberHockey this second half of the season:

"ONE MO YEAR"

And I see Mike Modano's mom is on board with our plea, as well as stated in her interview with ESPN.

"I'm hoping for one more year," Karen Modano said. "I know once that's over with, we won't get center ice anymore and won't be watching as many games."

I'm with you, mom. One MO year.

And when my 4-year old son scores a goal in the kitchen, he never takes credit. He shouts, 'Modano scores!' Thanks, Mike for all the incredible memories and your contributions to the success of hockey in the state of Texas.

You are a great American hero.

All similarities in appearance are eerily coincidental but perhaps, unknowingly, prophetic. We draw no conclusions but rather invite you to hum the theme song below in the comments. Don't act like you don't know it. You are humming it now, aren't you?

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Headline of the Night, and more

A few thoughts on/inspired by the games of 26 DECEMBER:

1. My Headline of the Night (which I just made up, so if you use it, you have to give me a nickel):

Fiddler Scores While Detroit Burns

Kudos to the Predators for their 3-2 defeat of the Red Wings. Given their off-ice issues (attendance, money, etc.), the fact that the Preds continue to ice decent teams year after year is remarkable. That said, the fact that they scored three goals against the defending Stanley Cup Champs is hardly worth mentioning. If you can't hang three on the Red Wings these days, you've got serious problems - Detroit has allowed three or more goals in 8 of their last 10 games. Is it because they really need Cheli that badly, or should they be in the market for a goalie? And if it's a goalie, who in the East (because no Western Conference GM in his right mind would give Detroit a goalie) has a starting goalie they'd be willing to part with? Boston's Fernandez comes to mind...

3. The Flyers arrival in the Windy City was delayed by problems on the ground which forced their plane to circle for an hour or so, which meant that they missed their morning skate. The Flyers needed more than a morning skate to avoid the beating they took. After winning five straight, Philly is 2-2-1 in their last five, and they've allowed 18 goals in those five games. Chicago, on the other hand, tied a franchise record with their 8th straight win, and Yours Truly will be watching Sunday to see if the 'Hawks can break the record against Minnesota.

4. Speaking of the Blackhawks...they're currently at the top of my list of Most Exciting Teams to Watch. Rounding out the Top Five are (in no particular order, because if you ain't first, you're last): Boston, Washington, Detroit and Los Angeles. Yes, you heard me: El Lay. They've got a bunch of talented kids out there, and if they can keep that nucleus together while adding a few pieces to the puzzle, the Kings are going to rule their division in 2-3 years.

5. No, San Jose isn't in my Top Five. I haven't seen enough of them to pronounce them, "Exciting". And now, you're wondering how it is that I haven't seen enough of them when I have the Center Ice package? The answer is simple: I don't watch San Jose much because I hate them. What can I say? I live in Dallas. I can watch the Kings, however, because they're not a threat to the Stars...yet.

That's it for tonight. Tomorrow is OGA (and families) Night at the Stars-Ducks game. The Stars' record this season when I attend games is a pitiful 2-3-2, but I take some comfort in the fact that they've won two in a row with Big Tex in the house. We'll see if they can extend the streak mañana...

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The DALLAS STARS SPR by Frozen Pill

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT
www.ongoalanalysis.com

26 September, 2008

Many people were surprised to see the DALLAS STARS in the 2007/8 playoffs. At On Goal Analysis, we were not. Many were even more surprised to see them reach the Conference Finals where they gave eventual Cup Champions Detroit something to worry about. This year the STARS hope there is much reason for Hockey Town to worry.

Finally silencing his critics, Turco performed with poised confidence as he turned away the opposition and gave his team a chance to win games. The STARS responded. Turco’s performance was not so different than the previous post-season but this time the team in front of him found ways to score in the playoffs just as they had done during the regular season (2nd best in the Western Conference). The recently found net-tickler-touch comes from such contributors as leading scorer Mike Ribeiro who, away from the hometown spotlight of his previous club in Montreal, has finally arrived in the NHL. Add a breakout year from perhaps an emerging best-Captain-in-the-NHL, Brendan Morrow with the (now young) STARS core on offense and you have the chemistry needed for a team in transition and with a mission.

By the time the locally beloved and traditional New Year’s Eve game of 2007 was over, the DALLAS STARS had called in their post-season reservations like one books a table at a restaurant on the same holiday; in advance. OGA saw them rise above the Playoff Qualifying Curve (PQC) and secure their spot in the playoffs with +3 rating against the curve.

In the 2007/8 NHL Season:

• The STARS qualified for their third playoff appearance in a row since the lockout.

• The STARS finished second in the NHL in penalty kills (85.59%) reminding all observers the DALLAS defensive system has been tended well since the Bob Gainey/Ken Hitchcock era.

• Marty Turco claimed his fifth strait 30-win campaign.

Coach Dave Tippett showed, again, he is a pragmatic and efficient coach. He currently has the highest winning percentage of all active NHL coaches since the lockout having gone 148-78-20. But a case could be made the new and emerging talent in DALLAS still moves down the current of Selke River with two of the league’s best defensive forwards, Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen. With new impact players brought into the organization since the trade deadline last year (Brad Richards, Sean Avery), the STARS are getting more attention for their potential. Later, we’ll see what the On Goal Analysis PQC reveals about the DALLAS STARS’ play for the first 10 games of the new season.

Although Mike Ribeiro lead the league in shot efficiency with 27 goals on 107 shots (25.23%) the new confidence in offense comes from a deep lineup. The STARS have four lines who compete to set the game’s tone almost every night. A close analysis of the Playoff Qualifying Curve (PQC) shows a team capable of hitting overdrive by February to solidify a spot in post-season play. The STARS also trend towards a strong start to the season playing anywhere from +.5 to +3 ABOVE the PQC. This year should be no different.

With the much discussed off-season signing of Sean Avery and his mouth, fans are anxiously awaiting the start of the season and wondering how this may affect the STARS’ identity. Perhaps timing is everything. Perhaps the time and team are a good fit and we will see Avery do what so many other players have done after joining the well structured organization in DALLAS and commit to the system. He is reunited with Co-GM and childhood hero Brett Hull with whom he also played in Detroit. Brett says he sees a lot of himself in Avery. Perhaps he means ‘hears’.

The DALLAS STARS will likely play above and/or at the PQC for the first 30 games of the season. In fact, look for the STARS to improve on their average against the PQC during this time frame in the 2008/9 NHL season.

The STARS’ first 10 games of the season are played 10 OCTOBER – 29 OCTOBER. Our exhaustive research indicates, in this time frame, the STARS earn a PQC rating of 6.5 and about 12 points in the NHL standings.

Some statistics of note to manage your expectations in to late October are:

• DALLAS splits its first ten games equally between home and the road but has struggled the past few seasons with consistent play at home. They will be excited to solidify their Morrow-captained identity as a team with increased fire-power and grit.

• Since the lockout, the STARS are an impressive 18-9-3 in their first ten games.

• DALLAS play almost an entire point ABOVE the NHL PQC for the first ten games and an impressive +1.3 above the PQC within the tough Pacific Division.

OGA will be measuring the STARS against their PQC Rating of 6.5 (as well as with all other NHL teams) in order to provide you more in-depth analysis with DALLAS’ Game 10 Report. The G10R will be delivered to our subscription customers by 2PM Central on 30 OCTOBER and available for purchase online by 2PM Central, 31 OCTOBER. See the OGA store for more details HERE. You can also view a sample for our G10R HERE. (Make sure to view all 3 tabs!)

Will the rising STARS of Texas continue their ascendancy towards another Cup run? They will need to continue their winning trends of late and hope to see another stellar year from their (all of a sudden) young defensive core. But the defense tradition has been taught and learned from within their system. Now we wait to see what a fresh start for Brad Richards, Sean Avery and Fabian Brunnstrom adds to the mix. It should be an exciting season so stay tuned to The OGA Blog for a thorough analysis of the STARS’ performance. OGA is at the Hanger so make sure to check out the DALLAS STARS G10R to review their performance against the PQC.

Tomorrow brings the MONTREAL CANADIENS’ SPR and another dose of your daily hockey vitamin, the Frozen Pill.

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