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Modano continues drive for American-born scoring record

Nov 7, 2007 - 2:42 PM Dallas (6-6-2) at San Jose (7-6-1) 10:30 pm EST

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - Two of the best American-born players in the history of the NHL will look to reach critical milestones Wednesday night.

Mike Modano is hoping to become all-time leader in points among American-born players when the Dallas Stars visit the San Jose Sharks in a battle of Pacific Division foes.

Modano has notched 1,231 career points and is just one shy of Phil Housley's all-time mark. The first overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft has registered two goals and three assists this season, but has been held pointless for the last three games.

The 37-year-old Modano picked up his last point by assisting Matt Niskanen's goal in a 4-2 setback to the Sharks on October 29.

On the other side of the rink, Jeremy Roenick is approaching the 500-goal milestone. Drafted just seven picks after Modano in 1988, Roenick is just one goal away from joining Modano (509) and Joe Mullen (502) as the only American-born players to reach the plateau.

After flirting with retirement in the offseason, the 37-year-old Roenick has collected four goals and seven points in 12 games this season. He scored his third game-winning goal of the campaign in Saturday's 3-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings.

Roenick has 37 goals - including six game-winners - and 80 points in 91 career games against the Stars.

He will get help from one of the NHL's most prolific passers. Joe Thornton has five goals and 11 assists this season. Thornton, who was the first overall pick in 1997, has 175 assists in 154 games since joining the Sharks in the middle of the 2005-06 campaign.

San Jose will not have it easy facing Marty Turco, who is coming off his first shutout of the season and 31st career. He made 19 saves in Dallas' 5-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.