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Dallas Stars Daily Links: As Martin Brodeur Retires, A Look Back at 2000 Stanley Cup Final

Special Teams and Goaltending:

Two extended 5-on-3s that make me want to eat broken marbles.

Carey Price beating your best shooters casually and effectively like the Level 10 goalie in the video game things.

That game makes me not enjoy watching hockey as much as I did before watching it.

Oh, yeah, Jason Spezza is a beast, though. I will enjoy watching his nose heal over the next few years, because it is our broken nose now. That is leading by example.

When you remember the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I am sure you have the same fond memory that all of us do. That’s right, I am talking about this commercial that ran during that time:

Also, the 2000 Stanley Cup Final featured the reigning champions in Dallas and the offense-strangling New Jersey Devils. The triple overtime Game 5 is one of my favorites, for obvious reasons, but the series ended with Martin Brodeur and Ed Belfour dueling it out until a fateful lapse of coverage saw Jason Arnott commit unspeakable acts upon Belfour’s goal which I shall not utter here.

Today is a time to remember the man on the other end of the ice. As players from that 2000 team have retired or diminished, Martin Brodeur has remained, in name, at least, one of the last notable players from that memorable Final.

Brodeur, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, will announce his retirement (and hiring in the St. Louis front office before returning to Jersey next year) later this week. It is perhaps a farewell much overdue, but that doesn’t mean we have to begrudge him a day of respectful recollection. In fact, Brodeur himself has said that the 2000 Cup is the most memorable one for him for a variety of reasons. Personally, I think the whole “allowed 9 goals in 6 games to the defending champs” thing is probably as impressive a fact as you can quote, even in the clutch-and-grab era.

His stick-handling is often mentioned to the complete exclusion of the slightly later renaissance of Turco’s reversal grip whenever the whole “Trapezoid Rule” is brought up, and I don’t think I’ll ever really like the guy, quite honestly; but his career, even with statistics inflated by the Devils’ trap system and the era in which he played, is one that shouldn’t be forgotten lightly. Farewell, Martin.

* * * * *

I finished the Serial podcast, finally. I still can’t let go of the fact that so much hinges on whether people can remember what they were doing years and years ago. This is why we need the government to videotape everything we do and then tell us when we break the law, like that Tom Cruise documentary about future crime fighting superheroes called Minority or whatever.

Also, try to keep the “FIRE EVERYONE” comments to one-and-done if you would, please. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Recap. [Stars]

The Stars have to stop with the whole “moral victory” thing, by which I mean losing when they play well enough to win (well, Mike Heika means that, actually). No more losing unless they play super badly. Then I suppose it’s okay. Two outta three the rest of the way, boys. [DMN]

Ryan Lambert has written off Dallas for playoff purposes, and he blames the goalies. [Puck Daddy]

Here are ten fun goals from the Stars’ first half. Is your favorite one on this list? Well, really now, how could I possibly know that? What a ridiculous question. [Hockey Writers]

Elliotte Friedman mentions that Dallas is rumored to still be looking for one more right-handed defenseman in his weekly 30 Thoughts. [SportsNet]

Maxime Fortunus apparently tried a between-the-legs move on a breakaway during the AHL All-Star game. [100 Degree Hockey]

Here are the best food-type things to eat when you’re hangin’ ’round the AAC. [DMN]

One-time Star Radek Dvorak has retired. Eighteen seasons of hockey is pretty impressive. [SI]

Darcy Kuemper has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, which probably signals the end of the Wild’s hopes for this season. How ought a fan to cope? [Hockey Wilderness]

Daryl Katz owns the Edmonton Oilers, but he might also be kind of shady for other reasons. Good piece here on the politics behind Lake Erie’s Otters, a new Oilers hockey barn, and money. It’s always about money. [Globe and Mail]

Nikita Zadorov has been suspended from the Sabres for failing to return from the Dominican Republic on time. Erik Cole has, I’m sure, sent him a sympathy Snapchat. [Buffalo Hockey Beat]

The NHL is “mystified” that the All-Star Game drew significantly worse television ratings in Canada this year than in 2012. Clearly the NHL did not watch the, you know, All-Star Game. [Toronto Star]

A guy named Derek thinks that the waiver wire is underutilized by too many teams. [Hockey Writers]

Matt Larkin had a good piece on what all is involved when an 18 or 19-year-old defenseman is brought straight to the NHL. Julius Honka should probably read this article. [THN]

Here’s an officiating piece from Paul Stewart on why the referees need to be in good position if they want to defend their calls. I can hear Erin cheering already. [Hockey Buzz]

Hey there, let’s watch KHL mascots beat each other up after participating in the shootout. Take some notes, NHL. [Puck Daddy]

Finally, please go back in time and show this to me when I was a kid and our backyard was filled with rabbits (via SB Nation). For soda, I mean.

Talking Points