Dallas Stars Daily Links: Modano Headlines, Plus Preparing For The Stretch Run

Where do we even begin after such an amazing weekend?  What else is there to say?

The retiring of Mike Modano's number was a huge success.  Everything from the green carpet ceremony down to the after party seemed to flow smoothly, with very few interruptions (unless you count Mo' having to pause every 30 seconds to keep from crying).

We've gone over the ceremonies ad nauseam, so I won't detail it too much here.  But there are some gems in the links below.

First, though, let's focus on the current roster of the Stars, and what they managed to accomplish on Saturday night.  The Minnesota Wild have been one of the best teams in the NHL since the new year, and the Stars not only managed to get the win over them, but they did it in regulation.  The Stars are now within striking distance of the Wild, only four points behind.  Of course, that also means that the Phoenix Coyotes are within striking distance of the Stars, since they are only three points behind.  And it's with that thought that we begin the links...

• No time to reflect on what's happened, as the Stars must continue to press forward.  Here's your stargazing notes for tonight. [Dallasstars.com]
• Are headline notes not enough for you?  Fine, here's the game day previews. [Stars Inside Edge] [Dallas News]
• Okay, now that we've looked forward, let's take a quick look back.  And let's start with the recaps of that amazing win. [Dallas News] [Stars Inside Edge]
• Modano talks about the ceremony itself, and what was going through his mind. [Dallas News]
• Here's the NHL's long read on the life and times of Modano. [NHL]
• The following night, Mark Cuban took some time to honor Modano at the Mavs game as well.  I guess Tom Gaglardi will have to repay the favor once Dirk's number rises to the rafters. [Dallas News]
• Of course, the Stars received quite a bit of national attention this weekend, and was a great time to get the ear of the normally-east-coast-biased reporters. [Puck Daddy]
• Would you like to have a five foot trophy of Modano in mid-celebration?  Then you better join the Stars' roster and outscore Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin.  Yeah, good luck with that. [Dallas News]
• And after the unfortunate injury to Kari during Saturday's game, Tim Thomas is now the man in net for at least the next game.  Get to know a bit more about Thomas and his unusual methods. [Dallas News]
• Even Puck Daddy gets in on the Tim Thomas news.  And this is exactly why Nill made the trade. [Puck Daddy]
• On to the rest of the NHL... The Blues defeated the Wild last night.  After going up early 2-0, St. Louis decided to coast to the shootout victory.  I guess thanks for only giving up one point.  Now we'll have to get the other from them tomorrow. [NHL]
• General Managers are discussing a longer overtime and a number of other issues in their meetings over the next three days.  If they really think 3-on-3 OT isn't as gimmicky as the shootout, they're fooling themselves. [NHL]
• Here's the NHL Grab Bag from this weekend, including a great debate on why GM's refuse to make trades. [Grantland]
• And in an interesting note, the Ohio State Hockey Championship ended in a tie after not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6.... overtimes. [Puck Daddy]
• If you missed the retirement ceremony, you can see all of it and more on the Stars website, so make sure to check it out.
• The magic number is 33, as long as the Stars stay ahead in ROW.  If you could choose only two teams to win tonight, make sure you cheer for Dallas and Tampa Bay, as the Jets, Nucks, and Preds are all starting to fade.