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STARS' MODANO: BIG CONTRACT BUT SOMETHING TO PROVE 05/24/98 By Tim Cowlishaw / The Dallas Morning News For Mike Modano, the Detroit-Dallas series is about respect. When you are 27, single and have $43.5 million coming the next six years, you can always use a little respect. It was about nine months ago that Modano and the Stars were trying to come to terms on a new contract. Modano was told repeatedly that he wasn't Eric Lindros, he wasn't Joe Sakic, and he wasn't Sergei Fedorov. Modano was just trying to tell the Stars he wasn't Vincent Damphousse, either. But the Fedorov comparison kept coming up - tall, swift skaters who shy away from the physical game but can take a hit, play defense, score big goals. Lots of similarities. But there were differences, too, that even now Modano will acknowledge. "I feel like my career is getting started now, turning the corner," said Modano. "His has been going strong for four or five years. He's got all the hardware [Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy, two Selke Trophies]. Like I've said before, I'd pay $100 to watch him play." The Red Wings, of course, will pay more than half a million per game to watch Fedorov play for them this season, but that's another story. Fedorov held out to get his money, missing more than two-thirds of the NHL season. Modano signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal, determined to prove he could lead the Stars to hockey's promised land. Injuries kept Modano from having a dream season after he led the league in scoring for two months. The Stars, to their credit, acknowledged that, OK, maybe Modano isn't Vincent Damphousse and rewarded him with a six-year, $43.5 million contract that kicks in next season. Take Fedorov's $38 million over six seasons, factor in that he is getting $28 million up front, and the two contracts are close to being even. And that's where the respect issue creeps in for Modano. Some still have their doubts that he can take a team all the way. Modano has had that burden ever since Joe Nieuwendyk vanished in the first period of Game 1 against San Jose with a major knee injury. This series is about removing all doubts. "I think people should recognize by now what I've been doing the last two years," said Modano, who has became one of the game's best defensive players among scoring centers. "I've changed my style, and it's helped my game a lot. People still look at my points and production, but there's a lot more to this game than scoring goals." In the case of this series, it's keeping Fedorov from scoring goals. Although Guy Carbonneau will certainly get some ice time against the Russian star, Modano is certain to be matched up more often than not against Fedorov. "He's got great speed from a standstill; he gets going quick," Modano said. "He stays on the puck like a [Peter] Forsberg. His game seems to have evolved where he's very good in traffic now. He'll be a tough guy to check. "Everyone's comparing us, and as far as winning and the major trophies, he's ahead of me. We've had different circumstances in different organizations. He's had a good core of guys there for five or six years now. That's benefited him. Now over the last couple of years, our team has finally gotten to that level. The cycle has come around. "I think it will be a big personal matchup. Everyone's going to focus on it, see who did the best." Without scoring a single goal against Edmonton, Modano had a strong series by holding Doug Weight to one point, a 5-on-3 goal in Game 2. Modano had four assists in the series. Weight's good. He isn't Fedorov. But the Stars feel Modano is up to the task. "I'll tell you what I've seen this year," said Bob Bassen, a Modano teammate for three seasons now. "Obviously, he has matured as a player. But what I've seen is he's played better all year in the tougher games. "I'm not saying that's easy. That's harder for him than for guys like me. He's always taking shots, [and] guys like Mo are targets for the other team. But he has played better in those situations all year." Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said Modano now performs an important role off the ice as well as on. "Mike's a leader because he's made the sacrifices. I should say he's making the sacrifices," Hitchcock said. "He's still on the learning curve. But he's 27; he's a young player in this league." Modano vs. Fedorov will be key, but Hitchcock said it's not the only story of the series. "It's not one on one," he said. "It's 12 against 12, and our concern is whether our 12 forwards can compete with their 12 forwards. Individually, one game their best player will be Fedorov, the next will be [Steve] Yzerman or it could be [Igor] Larionov. Detroit had 12 goal scorers in the last series alone. We've got to find a way to match that depth." Another goal-less series for Modano isn't likely to take the Stars to the next round. He will have to score and play defense and kill penalties and win face-offs for Dallas to move on. In other words, the Stars will have to get their money's worth. Modano hasn't let them down in the post-season yet, and he knows how how difficult it is to get this close to hockey's treasured trophy. "In '91, we had a Cinderella team, and we were two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. I always thought we'd be back and we'd be back often," Modano said. "Here it is [seven] years later, we're not even there yet. We know how tough it is to get this far." Modano has come a long way in those seven years, a long way in his own team's perception in just the last nine months. Having caught Fedorov in the salary game, there's only one thing left for Modano to do. It's down to hardware now. Copyright 1998, The Dallas Morning News. All rights reserved.