Imagine, for a moment, being Brenden Morrow.
You've waited since May, when you skated off the Arrowhead Pond ice after losing to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Western Conference semifinals, to play a game that means something again. Don't forget that you're one of the league's most competitive players when on the ice, and now, after all that time, you might not get to play in the season opener because of a bruise just above the ankle.
Bummer, eh?
"It's really disappointing," Morrow said. "But I'm in better spirits than I was after the Chicago game. I thought the injury was going to be much worse than it was."
Fortunately, it wasn't. As we learned Monday, there was no break in Morrow's leg, which allowed him to skate 45 minutes on his own Tuesday morning at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco.
He skated again Wednesday morning, and pronounced himself ready for the season opener.
"For the first game of the year I don't think I'll push it too much," he said. "But I have no reason not to play."
Knowing Morrow as he does, Stars head coach Dave Tippett figured even on Tuesday that Morrow would play.
"It's going to be hard for me to envision Brenden not playing in the game tomorrow night unless he was to get up (Wednesday morning) with a lot of soreness," Tippett said. "If he does, we'll re-evaluate.
"But there's a lot of adrenaline pumping through that body. I think he'll show up."
Stars fans, and players, can now rest easier knowing Morrow will be there as Dallas faces that very same Ducks team at 7 p.m. in an ESPN regional telecast.
StarGazing
*With or without Morrow, Wednesday's game promises to be a matchup between the two best young goaltenders in the league, Turco and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Turco, however, doesn't get caught up in head-to-head matchup motivation. "If I need it for extra motivation, it will be in the bag and I'll grab it," Turco said. "But with the talent they have shooting pucks, I don't think I need any more motivation."
*Tippett didn't put any extra emphasis on the season-opener just because it's against the team that eliminated the Stars from the playoffs. It's important, he said, just because the Stars need a good start. "We've got to play them sometime," he said. "It doesn't matter when. Opening night there's going to be a lot of adrenaline flowing anyway."
*The Stars are finding more ways to reach their fans, and this time it's with cheap hot dogs. The first 5,000 fans in the door for Wednesday's season opener get a coupon for a $1 hot dog.
You've waited since May, when you skated off the Arrowhead Pond ice after losing to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Western Conference semifinals, to play a game that means something again. Don't forget that you're one of the league's most competitive players when on the ice, and now, after all that time, you might not get to play in the season opener because of a bruise just above the ankle.
Bummer, eh?
"It's really disappointing," Morrow said. "But I'm in better spirits than I was after the Chicago game. I thought the injury was going to be much worse than it was."
Fortunately, it wasn't. As we learned Monday, there was no break in Morrow's leg, which allowed him to skate 45 minutes on his own Tuesday morning at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco.
He skated again Wednesday morning, and pronounced himself ready for the season opener.
"For the first game of the year I don't think I'll push it too much," he said. "But I have no reason not to play."
Knowing Morrow as he does, Stars head coach Dave Tippett figured even on Tuesday that Morrow would play.
"It's going to be hard for me to envision Brenden not playing in the game tomorrow night unless he was to get up (Wednesday morning) with a lot of soreness," Tippett said. "If he does, we'll re-evaluate.
"But there's a lot of adrenaline pumping through that body. I think he'll show up."
Stars fans, and players, can now rest easier knowing Morrow will be there as Dallas faces that very same Ducks team at 7 p.m. in an ESPN regional telecast.
StarGazing
*With or without Morrow, Wednesday's game promises to be a matchup between the two best young goaltenders in the league, Turco and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Turco, however, doesn't get caught up in head-to-head matchup motivation. "If I need it for extra motivation, it will be in the bag and I'll grab it," Turco said. "But with the talent they have shooting pucks, I don't think I need any more motivation."
*Tippett didn't put any extra emphasis on the season-opener just because it's against the team that eliminated the Stars from the playoffs. It's important, he said, just because the Stars need a good start. "We've got to play them sometime," he said. "It doesn't matter when. Opening night there's going to be a lot of adrenaline flowing anyway."
*The Stars are finding more ways to reach their fans, and this time it's with cheap hot dogs. The first 5,000 fans in the door for Wednesday's season opener get a coupon for a $1 hot dog.
