Despite having watched his Rangers lose in 12 innings to Seattle, Stars owner Tom Hicks arrived at American Airlines Center "excited to come celebrate hockey."

"This has been such a great season for this team, what they've done and the foundation we've laid for the future. Not only with the players, but reconnecting with our fans and reconnecting with the community. That's all good stuff," he said.

Wednesday's sellout was the Stars' 28th this season, including the eight home playoff games. That is Dallas' most since 2002-03, when it sold out all 41 regular-season games and six in the playoffs.

Hicks said season-ticket sales for 2008-09 have risen by about 1,000 in recent weeks. He projected that next year's season-ticket base will be 13,500, up from 12,500.

"We disappointed them many times," Hicks said, referring to the fans. "This town is all about winning. ... People get real excited when you get real deep into the playoffs. That's what we wanted to do and we've done it."

Chuck Carlton

At 37, Mike Modano said he isn't thinking about retirement. He remains driven by the prospect of winning his second Stanley Cup with the Stars.

Modano toyed with a couple of reporters before the game, staying silent when told that some of his former teammates knew it was going to be their last game when they walked off the ice.

"Am I?" Modano finally said. "No, we're a little ways away maybe."

Bill Nichols

Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov still isn't fully recovered from having surgery to repair a sports hernia just over a month ago. But it was hard to tell. He assisted on two goals and logged 23:49 of ice time, second only to Stephane Robidas.

"I'm tweaking it here and there, but it's hanging, so that's good," Zubov said.

Bill Nichols

The Stars put an end to the Red Wings' nine-game winning streak. Detroit had gone almost a full month since its last loss.

The nine consecutive wins set a club record for one playoff year. The franchise's all-time record is 11 consecutive wins, set during the final five games of 1998 and the first six playoff games of 1999.

Brandon George

With the Stars leading, 3-1, captain Brenden Morrow took an ill-advised delaying-game penalty when he flipped the puck over the glass.

"I felt shame," he said, when asked how he felt sitting in the penalty box. Morrow explained that he did his superstitious "spin-around" in the box. Marty Turco, sitting next to Morrow on the interview-room dais, rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Morrow declined to show the media his spin-around.

"It's ugly," Turco said.

Brad Townsend