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Modin gets high marks for assists

Lightning wing gets four helpers, one short of record.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 5, 2001

DENVER -- Which is mightier, a booming slap shot or a perfectly placed pass? Fredrik Modin made good arguments for both during his first All-Star weekend.

Saturday, the Lightning left wing and World All-Star displayed the NHL's hardest shot with a 102.1-mph blast.

Sunday, he showed his game is as much about finesse as brute force by getting four assists during North America's 14-12 victory at the Pepsi Center.

The only player with more assists in an All-Star Game is Mats Naslund, who had five in 1988 for the Wales Conference.

The only other Lightning players to score All-Star points are Dino Ciccarelli, who had an assist in 1997, and Wendel Clark, who got one in 1999.

"It's been terrific," said Modin, a huge smile across his face. "It's going to be tough to have another weekend like this. It was just a whole lot of fun."

"He had a great game," linemate and former Maple Leafs teammate Mats Sundin said. "I'm really happy for him."

Sundin benefited from Modin's two first-period assists, the first of which showed a pinpoint passing touch.

On a two-on-one with Luc Robitaille back, Modin chipped the puck through Robitaille's legs to Sundin, who tipped it home.

"I was looking to shoot," Modin said, "but Mats was so far ahead of me I had to pass."

Modin, 26, of Sundsvall, Sweden, began the play by stealing a pass in the defensive zone and getting the puck to Nicklas Lidstrom.

Modin assisted on linemate Ziggy Palffy's goal in the second period and on Lidstrom's with one second left.

"I just wanted to play and get a feel for what kind of game this was going to be and how hard the guys were going to play," Modin said. "It was pretty relaxed."

And for Modin, who will mount his All-Star jersey and hang it in his home in Sweden, very productive.

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