If you like goals, then you probably enjoyed Saturday night in the NHL.
NHL Scores: Stars honor Mike Modano with win, Ryan Miller keeps on winning
It was a good night for scoring in the NHL
Thomas B. Shea
Nobody could seem to hold a lead to save their life. The Maple Leafs had to pull out a win in overtime because the Flyers wouldn't go away. The Hurricanes erased a four goal deficit and then found a way to lose. Washington was so excited by Evgeny Kuznetsov's arrival that it staged a miraculous comeback in the third period.
But, the biggest show of the night happened in Dallas, where the Stars honored Mike Modano by retiring his jersey and then vanquishing the Minnesota Wild. It was truly fitting that scoring was in abundance on the night the Stars honored one of the league's most-prolific scorers ever.
All the NHL Scores
Blues 2, Avalanche 1
Maple Leafs 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
Devils 5, Hurricanes 4
Blue Jackets 1, Predators 0
Stars 4, Wild 3
Five Questions
On Saturday we asked you five burning questions about the days games. These are your cool, soothing answers.
1. Are we in for an epic night in Dallas?
Boy, were we. The Stars retired Modano's number in a truly memorable ceremony before the game. Then they did battle with the Minnesota Wild in one of the more exciting games of the year. Minnesota crawled back from two deficits to take a third period lead, but Tyler Seguin tied the game with a few minutes left to give the Stars a chance. Erik Cole's game-winning breakaway was fittingly Modano-esque.
2. Will Ryan Miller end Nathan MacKinnon's point streak?
Yep. Miller won his fourth straight game since joining the St. Louis Blues before the trade deadline, as the Blues stifled the potent Colorado Avalanche offense all afternoon. MacKinnon didn't even register a shot on goal. Tough luck, kid.
3. Does Thomas Vanek get his first point as a Canadien?
That depends. How many goals did Montreal score? Zero? Oh. Then no. No, he didn’t.
4. Is this the night Steven Stamkos breaks out?
The best thing you could say about Stamkos' performance Saturday is that he was involved. He didn't look afraid to drive the net, and he even had a breakaway in overtime that was halted by the clock running out. It's going to take awhile for him to get his scoring touch back. In the meantime, Ben Bishop and company look ready to keep holding down the fort.
5. Alright, Vancouver. Can you pull it together already?
They won! But they clearly have some problems to still sort out. Observe:
Impact Moment
The one play or moment from Saturday that is going to be making headlines over the next couple of days.
Did Erik Haula intentionally injure Kari Lehtonen? At first glance, it sure seemed like he could've put on the brakes before charging into the Dallas Stars' netminder. Whether he was tripped or his intentions were malicious probably depends on whether you hate Norm Green or not.
The biggest impact, aside from Haula's act, is how badly Kari Lehtonen is injured. Coach Lindy Ruff told reporters after the game that it's likely Lehtonen has a concussion. Suddenly general manager Jim Nill looks like a genius for acquiring Tim Thomas before the deadline. Will the Stars still make the playoffs if Lehtonen is sidelined for awhile?
Stat of the Night
In the “Connor McDavid is going to be special” category:
Connor McDavid now has 11 points in his last 3 games, Erie wins again. Trust me: Make the 2 hour drive to see the kid play. It's worth it.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_Trib) March 9, 2014 Post to Post
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