The Detroit Red Wings haven’t had great success at this year’s prospect tournament in Traverse City, Michigan. Playing two games and losing each by one point.
The Minnesota Wild’s beat Detroit five to four after Detroit had a lead of three to nothing in the first period. In the second game, the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Red Wings two to one.
Joey MacDonald defended the net for Detroit with Pascal Leclaire starting in goal for Columbus. Columbus’ Trevor Ettinger and Detroit’s Jeff Feniak did a little dance for the fans when they dropped the gloves twelve minutes into the game. Both received 5 minute majors for fighting.
Columbus scored first with six minutes and nineteen seconds to go in the first period. Brian Cummings getting a pass from Scott Heffeman sent the puck through MacDonald’s five-hole. Ettinger was still itching for a good fight and went with Brian McGrattan three minutes into the second period. Ettinger pulled McGrattan’s jersey over his head after they’d both gotten a few shots in on each other. Ettinger then gave McGrattan a few more shots to the face and pulled him down to the ice when they officials broke it up. Both were given five minute fighting majors and a game misconduct.
Columbus’ Duvie Westcott went to the penalty box for slashing seven minutes and twelve seconds into the second period. Thirty-five seconds into the power play Chad LaRose put Detroit on the score board. Greg Jacina passed across the front of the net to LaRose who put it in the net, low on the stick side.
Alexander Kulakov scored the game winner thirteen minutes into the second period with an assist from Marc-Andre Binette. Leaving the score two to one.
Nashville Predators vs. Atlanta Thrashers The Predators Jordin Tootoo, the first player of Inuit descent to ever be drafted into the NHL, opened the scoring fifty-five seconds into the game with an unassisted goal.
The next goal came by his teammate Miroslav Durak with an assist from Martin Erat two minutes and forty-two seconds into the second period.
Atlanta scored their only goal twenty-four seconds later from Dany Heatly with a helper from Karl Stewart. There were two more goals for Nashville from Eric Lavigne assisted by Bryan Lundbohm and one from Ryan Ramsay assisted by Scott Matzka and Tootoo.
St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild Despite scoring four goals the Minnesota Wild were still outscored by the St. Louis Blues who generated seven goals from six different players. The first period ended with tied at one a piece, Dan Cavanaugh scoring for the Wild and Brett Lutes netting one for the Blues.
Four minutes into the second period Derek Boogaard was checked through the glass at the zamboni gate. The six-foot-six Boogaard went through the glass, over the boards and landed on the cement floor. The only visible injury was a small cut to his left cheek. Boogaard left to get fixed up and take a shower to get the shards of glass out of his hair and clean out his equipment.
Jay McClement, of the Blues, opened and closed the scoring in the second period sandwiching two St. Louis goals and two Minnesota goals. The St. Louis goals were scored by Greg Davis and Jeff Panzer, Minnesota’s from Eric Johansoon and Matt Dziedusszycki.
Johansson scored once more for the Wild and St. Louis’ Cory Pecker and Rowe each added a goal to finish out the night.
