Stars say Fistric hit was clean

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen said he felt Mark Fistric's hit on him Thursday was worthy of a suspension.

However, the Stars responded on Friday by saying they felt the hit was clean.

Stars coach Marc Crawford: ``I thought it was a good hit. It was a north-south play. Their player goes down very low, when he turns he turns he comes down and you get hit. Mark had him lined up the whole way, he tried to cut back on him and he hit him.''

Fistric: ``I don't ever want to hurt anybody and I'm sorry that he's hurt, but I really was just finishing my check. I really just thought I hit him with my shoulder. It happened so quick I really didn't even know what happened. I didn't even know he was hurt until a lot later in the shift. I certainly didn't try to hurt him or target his head, I just think we came together in an awkward way.''

The Stars say they do not believe Fistric will receive any discipline.

Kari Lehtonen was given the day off for maintenance. Jamie Benn (concussion-like symptoms) worked out and should skate in the morning Saturday at American Airlines Center. However, he will not play Saturday night. He might be ready by Monday.

"Jamie's positive again today," Crawford said. "He's doing his tests today and I think he's going to skate here later today and skate with the team tomorrow. We are targeting Monday."

FSSW recorded its highest rating for a Stars game more than six years for Thursday's return of Mike Modano to Dallas.

Here is the press release:

Mike Modano's return to Dallas Thursday night produced the highest-rated Dallas Stars telecast on FOX Sports Southwest in over six years, according to Nielsen Media Research. The game against Modano's new Detroit Red Wings team averaged a 1.7 Nielsen household rating in Dallas-Fort Worth, the best mark for a regular-season Stars telecast on FOX Sports Southwest since a 2.4 on April 2, 2004 against the Minnesota Wild.

An average of 44,630 homes in Dallas-Fort Worth tuned in to watch the former Stars standout play his first game in Dallas wearing a visitor's sweater. The game was the night's No. 1-rated cable TV program in Dallas-Fort Worth, beating ESPN's West Virginia-South Florida college football telecast that averaged a 1.6 rating.