Modano scores two to pass Mullen, Robidas taken off on stretcher after punch by Tootoo in Stars loss to Predators

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Mike Modano made NHL history Saturday night in Nashville, scoring his 502nd and 503rd goals to pass Joey Mullen as the all-time leading U.S.-born goal scorer in a 3-2 loss to the Predators. Meanwhile, Nashville forward Jordin Tootoo lived up to his reputation, decking Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas with Modano called a sucker punch late in the third period.

Robidas was taken off the ice on a stretcher and then was taken to a Nashville hospital. He suffered a concussion. He was released from the hospital Saturday night and will be re-evaluated in Dallas on Sunday.

"[Tootoo] saw him coming and he sucker punched him," Modano said. "It's a horrible thing to see, but you are dealing with a guy who has been known to do that. You are talking about a reputation ... It just belittled the whole game."

Robidas was going after Tootoo, who had just knocked Modano to the ice with a hit. Tootoo spun around and, with his glove still on, threw a punch that caught the oncoming Robidas flush in the face.

Tootoo picked up a double minor for roughing on the play and Robidas was giving a minor for charging.

"Robidas should be all right, but I'd like a better explanation about the call," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

Modano took a pass from Jere Lehtinen and scored on the resulting power play with 2:52 left in the game to cut Nashville's lead 3-2 and pass Mullen with his 503rd goal.

"You always like to do it on a positive night," Modano said of breaking Mullen's record on a night when the Stars lost and there was an ugly incident in the game. "A night that you win and things go well. Some guys made some great plays on those goals. It's something I'll probably just lay in bed tonight and say, 'Hey, I had a good night.' "

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Stars. Nashville snapped a two-game losing streak and beat the Stars for the first time after dropping the first two meetings between the teams this season.

 "It was huge," said Nashville defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who scored two goals in the game. "We talked about it this morning, that we lost two in a row and we have to get back on track. Teams are winning and teams are catching us, so we had to come out and play hard and get two points."

Nashville struck first with a goal at 9:15 of the second period to take a 1-0 lead. After a turnover in the corner by Philippe Boucher, Stars goalie Marty Turco was able to poke puck away from Ramzi Abid, but Tootoo got the puck and roofed it into the net from the left faceoff circle.

The Stars drew even with a power play goal less than two minutes later. Modano took a pass at the blue line from Darryl Sydor, skated to the left circle and beat Predators goalie Tomas Vokoun with a wrist shot for goal No. 502.

But Nashville scored a power play goal 39 seconds later to take a 2-1 lead. Peter Forsberg sent a cross-ice pass to a pinching Timonen, who scored from the right circle.

The Predators extended their lead to 3-1 when Timonen scored from the right point with less than eight seconds to in the second period.

The Stars stepped up the pressure in the third period, outshooting the Predators 13-4. They had a five-on-three power play for 1:16, but they couldn't cash in on the chance. Vokoun made a big stop on a Lehtinen chance and then stopped a point blank shot by Miettinen.

Modano's goal late made it a 3-2 game, but the Stars never got another good scoring chance and the Predators beat the Stars for the first time this season.

The first period was fast-paced with some good scoring chances, but neither team could break through. Stars forward Ladislav Nagy hit a post and the Stars came close to scoring on a scramble in front of the net, but Vokoun got his pad on a Loui Eriksson attempt to stuff the puck just inside the post.

Nashville's J.P. Dumont got off a good backhand attempt but Turco denied than and then, while on his back, knocked away a rebound attempt by Abid.