So Long, Marty

It’s official: MartyTurco is now a Chicago Blackhawk after the Hawks decided to walk away from Antti Niemi.

I’m happy about this.  Sure I would have preferred Turco in the East; we all would have.  But I’m glad he’s going to a contender, and I think he’ll get to shine behind the Hawks’ wonderful defense corps.

On Marty’s years in Dallas, I thank him.  While he was frustrating and shaky at times, he was a wonderful person on top of it all.  I wish him nothing but the best, and he’ll always be a Star in my heart.

It’s a bit heartbreaking to know that he’s really done in Dallas.  It still feels like I’ll see him in those gold pads handling the puck like the wizard he is.  Like every relationship, Marty and us fans had ups and downs. 

Who could forget May 4, 2008 in Game 6 against the Sharks when Marty played one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen?  He was at the top of his game that night, and he came out on top. 

Or what about 2007 against Vancouver when he recorded THREE shutouts, yet still lost?

We had some wonderful times and some truly hard times.  No matter what, I’ll always remember Marty Turco as one of the greatest players to ever come out of the Stars organization.

Best of luck to you, Marty, and I’ll really miss you.  Go win a Cup, why don’t ya?

The Poster Boys

For quite a few years, I’ve had a poster hanging in my room beside my bed.  This poster has three beloved guys on it: Mike Modano, Marty Turco, and Sergei Zubov.  I looked at this poster the other day, shortly after the news broke that we wouldn’t be resigning Modano, and felt a dagger go through my heart.  I realized that all of the guys on my poster were no longer Dallas Stars.  It’s really a sad time in Stars history.  The “poster boys” are all gone…

The Last Song

You just can’t make this stuff up.   I mean, you really can’t.  The home finale couldn’t have gone more perfectly.   It was amazing in every way possible.

What a way to send Mo, Lehts and Turco off in style.   All three had great games, and were the three stars of the game.  They deserved it.  There aren’t enough words to describe my joy about last night.

To describe it best, last night was irony galore.   I liked the little touch of Mike Modano-wannabe extraordinaire, Bobby Ryan, getting both Duck goals.  I loved that Mo and Lehts were vintage Modano and Lehtinen.  It meant a lot to me as a Stars fan that those two won the shootout for us.

Now, admit it: all you really wanted was for Mike Modano to get a goal in the final home game.  I’ll come right out and say that that’s what I wanted.  It’s what we all wanted.  I think he needed to score one last time at home for us to be satisfied.  I wanted to hear the roar of the crowd and the ovation he got if he scored a goal.  Never mind that his stick was a tad high.  The refs HAD to give it to him.  That’s what you do for a classy player who’s about to hang up the skates.  I cannot stress enough how perfect it was.

Every time that Modano got the puck, you could hear this collective gasp.  Even if it was a mere dump-in, we couldn’t help but get excited.  We wanted that Modano goal bad.  Thank the hockey gods we got it.  And a creative little assist for that matter, as well.  

To be honest, as soon as I saw that we were going to a shootout, my mind went wild.   All I could think about was how wrong it was that it had to end in a shootout loss.  Hiller had been outstanding throughout the game and let’s face it, it hasn’t exactly been a great year for shootouts.  But there was a big part of me that believed we could win it, just for the hell of it.  I knew Mo would shoot and when he made it, I literally jumped out of my seat and started screaming out of happiness.   Then, when I saw Jere getting ready to shoot all I was thinking was, “No.  There is no freakin’ way it’ll end like this.  Nothing goes that perfectly.”  Needless to say, I’m glad I was wrong.

A side note to last night’s game is Philip Larsen who made his debut.  I just wanted to recognize that, since it was obviously overshadowed by Modano, Lehtinen, and Turco.  I liked what I saw from Phil and I’m eager to see him as a full-time Star.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I will cherish April 8, 2010 forever.  Rarely is a meaningless regular season game so compelling, so epic.  I’m so thankful that we the fans got the opportunity to send off three great Dallas Stars, unlike the way we never got to give Sergei Zubov a proper, much-deserved good-bye.   

For twenty seasons, we’ve watched Mike Modano be our franchise.  It’s always been a lot of the same: goals, assists, franchise records, that jersey flapping in the wind et cetera.  Last night, we finally saw the great #9 do something different.

He broke down and cried.

Thanks for everything, Mo, Jere, and Turco.  Thank you so, so much.

Say it with me…

ONE MO YEAR! LEHTS GO STARS! 

You’d better believe it.

Turco’s Last Stand

So.  This is the end of the Turco era.  I just wanted to say how truly sad that makes me feel.  He’s been a constant on this team for a long time.  Whether you liked him or not, it’s hard to let someone like that go.

I just wanted to say, thank you, Marty, for everything you’ve done for us.  You’ve been a great person, if not a great goaltender.  I’m sorry that we Stars fans have to part with you in a bittersweet ending, but that’s how it goes sometimes.  Thanks again, Mr. Turco.

Equally sad is the fact that this might be the last time Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen play in front of the home crowd.

Say it with me,

ONE MORE YEAR!

Please.

Go Stars.

We Made Some Shark Stew

It doesn’t get much better than an 8-2 win over the top team in the West, the Sharks.  I always love playing the Sharks…they really bring out the best in the Stars.

First of all, Kari Lehtonen was amazing.  That loss against Pittsburgh didn’t count as the Pens have always had their way with the Stars.  If he plays like he did last night, this may very well spell the end of the Turco era in Dallas.  He faced a whopping 46 shots!  Atta kid, Kari. 🙂

Brenden Morrow always seems to end Evgeni Nabokov’s night, doesn’t he? 😛 Was it “Olympic” Morrow or was he just doing his thing against the Sharks?  Stay tuned…

Can I just say how ridiculous Robi’s boarding major was?  Clowe’s a dirtbag and he should have been called for interference earlier in the game, but the refs ignored it.  I very much hope that Robi’s not suspended.  It would be as stupid as the favoritism showed toward Matt Cooke.

Did you know that the Stars haven’t scored two shorties in a game since November 2002?  That’s crazy.

I don’t really know what else to say about the game. It’s shocking when the Stars score eight goals in a game, let alone eight goals in a game against the Sharks.

These sort of games make me so, so, so, so happy.  I know that the Stars are pretty much out of the playoffs, but I can’t stand watching them lose.

For Your Entertainment

What an entertaining game against the Caps.  It went so perfectly by mystandards.  I wanted the Stars to win, obviously, but I heart Alex Ovechkin and I wanted him to regain the goal lead, which he did.  It was so perfect.

The story of the game was obviously Marty Turco.  He had new career highs in saves and shots.  I think it might just have been his best regular season game ever.  See, 49 saves against Washington is much different than 49 saves against say, Anaheim.  With the offensive talent Washington has, they should have had more than three goals, but Turco was brilliant.

I loved the Ovechkin-Robidas matchup.  Robi did a heck of a job keeping the best player in the world under control.  Yeah, I know Ovie scored.  Twice.  But it’s Alex frickin Ovechkin. OF COURSE he’s going to score, but to limit him and take some chances is a great job.  Did you know that AO weighs 40 pounds more than Robi?  He did a great job.

How hilarious was Turco’s reaction after Semin biffed it?  I lol-ed at that one.  Sasha’s so adorable.  He reminds me of a puppy with his mannerisms and such.  Plus, I’ll never forget the bongoes. 🙂

Sasha biffs it.

B-Rad’s shootout goal was a beauty.  So was Loui’s.  Ribs tried to go all Jussi on Varly, but that move only works for my boy, Juicy.  Sorry Ribs, keep inventing your own moves. 😛

I just wanted to say that I loved this game so, so much.  Ovechkin is one of my favorite players and I’m also a big fan of Nicky and Sasha, Ovie’s BFFs.  It was fun to see my two teams deke it out and my favorite come out on top.

Next Up: Olympic hero, Ryan Miller, and the Sabres.

Let’s do this.

What Now?

I’m not happy.  Not happy at all.  In the past two games since the Olympic break, the Stars have been outscored 11-2.  Basically they’ve lost all the momentum from before the break.  I’m calling some guys out on this one. ..

Our “Lovely” Goaltender…

Dear Marty,

What happened?  I mean come on, man!  Before the Olympic break you played like you wanted it!  What is it, now that your job is secure you don’t give a crap anymore?  Is that it?  If that’s the attitude you’re going to take, then I’m all for Kari Lehtonen taking the starting job from you.  Grow up and play some hockey.  The Stars aren’t gonna re-sign you, so you’d better put on a show if you want a team come free agency.

The Gold Medalist…

Dear Brenden,

Thanks for looking like you cared (a little).  You looked tenacious (at times) and like you wanted it (partly).  However, you still don’t look like Team Canada Morrow or (my personal favorite) Brenden Morrow, Circa 2006-2008.  Please pull it together. 

You can’t blame the knee anymore, Brenden; we all saw the way you played at the Olympics and know you can do the same for the Stars.  Can you not handle the pressure of being captain?  If that’s the case, maybe we should hand the captaincy over to Stephane Robidas, who is perfectly capable.

P.S. I’ll forgive you if you remember to hit Sidney Crosby extra hard tomorrow.  That way I’ll know you’re out of your Olympic funk.  Alright, Brenden? 🙂

To the Rookie…

Dear Bennster,

You SO won your first NHL fight last night.  I’m so proud of you, kid.  If I”m not mistaken, it went a little like this, right?

JB: How about that Sidney Crosby, eh?

EJ: Son of a…*drops the gloves*

I enjoyed it, Jamie.  A memorable first fight, eh?

Erik Johnson, meet Jamie Benn's fist

Next Up: tomorrow against the Pens (!!!)

Let’s kick some ice.

But There Is Hope…

And with one game, the Stars gave us hope.  This last win before the Olympic break against Phoenix was arguably the best game of this season.  The Stars played like they wanted it, and sure the Coyotes were tired and not in it, but the Stars just made them look even worse.  It’s games like those that can make a team, make a winning streak.  I’m bummed that the Olympic break had to happen, just when the Stars look like they could start a streak.

Anyway, here’s some thoughts I had from the game:

-Obviously the James Neal hit on Petr Prucha was a big story from the game.  In my opinion, it was a clean hit that resulted in a freak injury.  The glass sucks in Phoenix, so that was probably a contributing factor.  It’s unfortunate that Prucha was injured; concussions are NEVER a good thing.  What was dirty though, was the way Phoenix retaliated.  Somebody tell me how the hell Shane Doan did NOT get called for charging.  He was waaaay out there when he stared to come toward Neal.  Then Jovanovski went after Neal and had Nealer not seen him coming, Neal could have been seriously injured.  It was almost Bertuzzi-like how the Coyotes were after the hit…

-Speaking of Neal, after that game, I just loved him more.  You can add the Phoenix Coyotes to the ever-growing list of teams that hate James Neal.  Our Nealer is a truculent fellow, eh? 😛

-How about Marty Turco?  I just love the competetive Turco we used to see in the Mike Smith days.  If this Turco is the one that plays the rest of the season, then I love Kari Lehtonen.  Because the new guy in town is bringing out the Turco we know and love.  Our goalie situation is the best it’s been all season.

I also just wanted to say how bad I feel about that luger who died, Nodar Kumaritashvili, of Georgia.  I am, however, happy that he died doing what he loved.  RIP, Nodar.

Now let’s forget about our wonderful sport of hockey for a little while and go watch the Winter Olympics.  Then, obviously, we watch the Olympic hockey and have fun.  

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Get Your Pants Off the Ground

I really hope you’ve seen this by now.  Of not watch it; if so, watch it again:

I love it.

And my message to the Stars is: Get your pants off the ground and win tomorrow night.  Because if you do, you will have that long-eluded 3-game winning streak. 🙂  HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE?!?

Ahem.  Totally.

Anyway, I can’t  say anything about the past two games since I didn’t actually watch them.  For one, I was busy and the other was on Versus so I wasn’t able to watch it.

The big story?  Alex Auld.  I watched the highlights of the Detroit game and he was flippin’ amazing.  It was a pleasant change from Turco’s usual riff-raff.

I have a ton of things I want to say regarding Turco, but to sum it up:  Turco needs to go.  This team is going NOWHERE with him.  I gave him a chance going into this season, but his play has proved that he’s just lost himself.  And I’m tired of it.

Okay, done ranting.

As for Haiti, we should all consider ourselves very lucky that we have never had to live their lives.  When we wake up, we think, “Hockey, hockey, hockey.  What will I have for lunch today?”  When Haitians wake up, they think, ” How will I get through today?”  I’m very fortunate to live the life I live.

Go Stars!

Best of the Decade: Marty Turco

First of all, I wanted to say that I’ve decided to continue this “Best of the Decade” thing throughout 2010, since the decade doesn’t technically end until 2011.  So that’s out of the way.

Now, let’s talk about Marty Turco.  Ah, Turco!  You’ve been the cause of frustration for Stars fans for a lot of the decade now!  Only Turco can we count on to be brilliant one day and awful the next.  Only Turco has ever made me literally pull my hair out (Niskanen’s a close second, though).  Turco, Turco, TURCO!

He’s a great goalie, yes, but he has this ability to give us hope, only to take it away.  I’ve never liked that very much.  Also, Turco is the one who prompted me to dream up the phrase, “pull a Marty Turco.”  He plays the puck better than any other goalie, except perhaps Martin Brodeur.  

For years and years he had a reputation as a playoff underacheiver.  He has since proved everyone wrong.  In the 2007 playoffs against the Canucks, Turco was the one who brought us to Game 7 before ultimately losing a heartbreaking loss.  In 2008, he was even more amazing.  Turco backstopped us in 2008 all the way to the conference finals.  Not bad, eh?

He’s kind of lot it since 2008, but in all fairness, the entire team has lost it.  Yes, you can blame Turco for 08-09, but not entirely.  You can blame him for the losses that have come this year, though not entirely.

Whether you’ve liked him or not, Turco has been our goalie, the one consistent thing we’ve had in net this decade.  He’ll be a free agent after this season, and it’d really pain me to let him go.  Not because he’s what I think the team needs, but because he’s been here for so long.  

Turco is like that toy you have when you’re really little, and once it comes time to sell it in the garage sale, you just can’t.  You have to keep it around because it’s a memory and life wouldn’t be complete without it.  The Stars would lose a little bit of heritage if Turco left on his own terms.

You might have hated Marty’s confidence issues or you might have found them funny, but either way, there’s no denying that this decade wouldn’t be the same without Turco around.