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 Modano plays; Hull goes down
Posted: Sunday June 13, 1999 08:34 AM
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Dallas got injured Mike Modano back, but Brett Hull wasn't around long Saturday night as the Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. Hull, who scored 32 goals during the season and had seven in the playoffs, including the game-winner in Thursday night's 4-2 victory, strained a groin muscle and played only 2:03 of the first period. He did not return. "Hully got a huge goal for us last game," Stars wing Dave Reid said. "We just have to keep pumping. Everybody fills in." "It's kind of the story of our team," Modano said. Modano decided not to let a wrist injury keep him out. He played 18:35, took five shots and won four of nine faceoffs. "He still has two good legs, and every time he has the puck he's a threat," Stars center Guy Carbonneau said. Modano said he felt just a little discomfort as he skated a regular shift and worked special teams in Dallas' win that gave them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. "We numbed it up a little bit to take the edge off," Modano said. "As long as I don't feel it, it's fine. Just wanted to get out there and get a sweat, get involved." Modano, injured when he was checked along the boards by Sabres defenseman Jay McKee in Game 2, started at left wing with center Joe Nieuwendyk and Jere Lehtinen. He ended up skating on a line with Lehtinen and Tony Hrkac. "I was limited in what I could do," Modano said. "As far as faceoffs and bearing down it was not the way I wanted it." Modano, who called the injury "a bad bruise," would play only if he could go full strength, Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said before the game. "The players put it best," Hitchcock said. "It's about time he feels like the rest of them -- average hands." Modano showed no signs of his injury. He stickhandled with apparent ease and indicated that he would be a factor early when he broke away from Sabres defenseman Rhett Warrener and went around McKee for two shots, both stopped by Dominik Hasek just a minute and a half into the first period. His biggest problems were penalties. Modano took consecutive penalties in the second period for tripping and the slashing. Late in the period, he negated a Stars power play when he was called for interference on Sabres forward Dixon Ward with 37 seconds left in the period. "Too many refs out there right now," Modano said. Modano had two assists in the first game against Buffalo for his fifth multi-point game of the playoffs. He had four assists in the last five playoff games and had a five-game playoff point (3-5-8) streak going into Saturday's game. He was tied for second in the playoffs in assists with 13, was fourth in points (18) and seventh in faceoff percentage, winning just over half.
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