This past Tuesday night, Dallas Stars Center Mike Modano became the second US born player in the NHL to score 500 career goals. Joe Mullen was the first and is currently 37th all time with 502 goals with Modano sitting in 38th place tied with Lanny Mustache McDonald. Modano was the first overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft by the then Minnesota North Stars. In 1993 the Stars moved from Minnesota to Dallas.
I know you are all thinking: Enough with the history lesson and the stats Killer, can you write something entertaining? Settle down GoonBlog fans I’m getting there.
During Modano’s first year in the show, he swung into the old Garden for a tilt against the B’s. My dad thought it would be a good idea for me to catch the game in person and ordered me up a few seats compliments of Whacky Hacky. For those of you that know the Hack, he always had great seats. So me and a few buddies headed on in, not having a clue how entertaining this game would actually be.
We were all under age at that time so there was no pre-game boozing it up at the Four’s or any other watering hole. But of course, we did have a case of Bud for the ride in compliments of my sis who always looked after little brother! We ended up arriving in plenty of time to tailgate in the garage across the street. A few laughs were shared amongst the group and even a piss or 3 behind the pickup truck parked next to us. Back in the day, I think my limit was about 4-5 beers before I got a little sloppy so I was feeling good!
We arrive in the Garden and check our tickets. Hot damn, wouldn’t ya know it, Whacky Hacky has us 5 rows behind the Bruins penalty box! We toss down a couple dogs and make our way to the seats. Modano clearly stood out with his lanky frame and flowing locks. Mullets were the in fashion hair do back then, I should know, I had one. His second shift of the game produces the first wow, what a fucking move comment from me. He flies down the right wing with the puck, cuts back into the middle and riffles a shot up an over the shoulder of Reggie Lemelin. Poor Reggie didn’t stand a chance. Modano notched his second of the game with about 3 minutes to go in the first on a power play. I forgot who passed him the puck, but he was wide open across the cage on a great back door cut to the net. That put the score at Minnesota 3 and Boston 0. Sensing this game was about to be a blow out, I got a feeling something was about to happen.
The fun began when Basil McRae and Lyndon Byers, better known around Boston as LB, touched the ice following Modano’s second goal. I swear the puck hadn’t even left the refs hands on the face off drop and those two had their gloves off. Wammo Kablamo they were pounding away at each other. Pretty solid fight with LB getting the edge on the take down. With our seats being directly behind the B’s penalty box, I was front and center to the trash talk that ensued while those 2 combatants were ushered into there respective sin bin. The play on the ice continued and so did the yapping back and forth between LB and McRae, most of it can’t even be repeated on this site! With less than 30 seconds to go in the period, another skirmish ensued in front of Reggie. No fights but the typical pushing and shoving that occur after a save.
While the refs were busy tending to that, LB & Basil were ready for round 2. I think Basil was a little ticked off from the fight and felt he had some leftover business to tend to. LB places one leg over the boards in a symbol of ok let’s go, I am ready for round 2. Basil kept yapping with no movement so LB placed the other leg over. Now we all know if LB leaves the penalty box back onto the ice surface he is a goner. Think he gave a shit? He and Cam were probably gonna get all banged up after the game and the tab was going to # 8 not # 34. Sure enough, LB makes the move and lands on the ice. Basil, never being one that backed down from a challenge, tossed his gloves and leaped over onto the ice. The Garden explodes in cheers as these two get set for round 2. An even better fight this time with both guys landing some serious bombs. Of course once the refs broke it up, both LB and Basil were shown the gate for the rest of the game.
Modano ended up getting the hat trick in the third period and the North Stars got the W: 6-3. All in all, a very entertaining game with some great goals and even better brawls. Mike, hats off to you for your 500th goal. You will go down as one of the best US born players ever to lace em up in the NHL. I’ll never forget that night in 1989 when you announced yourself to B’s fans as the real deal. I wish you continued success in your career but keep in mind, I really enjoyed the Basil vs. LB brawls way more than your Hat Trick.
Great story Killer! Obviously you were wearing your CCHS Hockey Jacket for the tilt. Quick footnoe to your story. You remember Link Gaetz was taken in the second round by the North Stars. The Stars GM said about the draft. “We took Mike Modano in the first round to protect the franchise. We took Link Gaetz in the Second Round to protect Mike Modano. We should have taken a lawyer in the Third Round to protect Link Gaetz.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day lads. Drink up!
DUDE, that was yesterday! Must have been A good one!!!
Red Thunder: I posted it yesterday but our server sits in some rice farm in Bangladesh a day ahead of us.
what a tilt this weekend by the bruins!!! Yesterday I attended the high school hockey state title games at The Garden. Solid games and lots of excitement. Also lots of money for that asswipe Jacobs. My 6 year old kid had to pay $12.50 to get in to the game. I would like to see Chris’s boy Link Gates locked in a room with that olde bastard!!!!
$12.50!?!?!?!? Isn’t that like $250,000 in Bangladesh currency???
17,461,871.88 TURKISH LIRA (TRL)
Anyone see the highlights from the Dallas Stars vs. Nashville Predators game Saturday night? Jordin Tootoo made a clean hit on Modano and then Stephane Robidas came after him. Tootoo ended up knocking Robidas out with one punch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh_WQ8Wn5Ag
I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one side Tootoo knew that after hitting Modano someone would probably make a run at him so he was protecting himself and yet the other side of me says why didn’t he drop his gloves like a man. I’m curious to know what the GoonBlog loyal readers think. Chime in and let me know.
Killer, Collin Campbell said every player has a right to defend himself, but what Tootoo did was excessive. I don’t really have a problem with him taking a swing at Robidas, but at the same time, I think it was a little excessive. Robidas didn’t even have his gloves off. He may have just been coming over to give him a chance to drop em like a man.
I just read that Tootoo was given a 5 game suspension and will forfit $16,032.80 in salary for the play.
WOW!!! Tough Call. Can you really penalize A guy that much for A natural human reaction in self defense?
This is a disgrace. There was nothing wrong with what Tootoo did. A guy was coming at him and he knocked his ass out. Was he suppossed to let Robidas knock him out??? Come on Killer stop being a vag. Collin Cambpell should be ashamed of himself handing down 5 games for this. It should have been zero games and a thnk you card from the league for increasing ratings and getting some more hockey on you tube!!!!!
K Special – I totally agree with you but the thing that bothers me is he had a shield on and Robidas didn’t. Hell, when guys used to try and run me my elbow would usually be the first part of my body they were introduced to. Because Robidas didn’t have his gloves off i’m on the fence about this one. If he had his gloves off and stick dropped I would say hey tuff shit. Instead Tootoo just unloaded a bomb.
That punch reminded me of the time I was borrowing your nice yellow sweater and I polaxed that fat Canadian kid and he bled all over it. It was a fair, straight, hammering blow. Did you ever get that sweater cleaned???
FREE TOOTOO
I’m with Killer on this one.
Wholly knock out!! Check this out from last night’s Rangers vs. Flyers game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhmcoxibe3c
Colton Orr absolutely blasts Todd Fedoruk. Atta boy Colton!
Well do you suppose Fedoruk pissed in his cup?
Hey Killer, Keep these quick connect fixes to the u-tube activities coming. My wife is getting hooked. In fact she almost responded before I did. Her A.K.A is Shine Sniper or Yellow Cloud. She hates fights but loves the action. She is still learning!!!
Atta Boy Red Thunder
Everytime I look at Joe Thorntons stats I get sick to my stomach. He had 3 helpers last night so I checked him out on espn and just puked in my office waste paper basket. That trade might be the worst in sports history.
You know the Gatorade soccer commercial at the end when Nomar says “Thanks Beautiful” to his wife Mia Slam Hamm?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoqCZV-_8Qc
Well we need to come up with one for the former GM Mike O’Connell who will go down as the worst NHL GM in the history of the game.
Killer – what are they thanking her for? did she do something cool? i would shag her!