The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects defeated the New York Rangers’ prospects 5-0 on Monday night, advancing to the championship game at the Red Wings’ prospect tournament.
The Red Wings will play a to-be-determined opponent on Tuesday at 7 PM EDT (on Fox Sports GO and DetroitRedWings.com).
Axel Holmstrom, Joe Veleno (2), Michael Rasmussen and Zach Gallant scored for Detroit; Patrik Rybar stopped 14 of 14 shots, Givani Smith won a spirited fight with Brett Howden, and Jared McIsaac appeared to be OK after leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the 3rd period.
After the game, I spoke with Joe Veleno regarding the Wings’ tremendous commitment to defense, the prospect of winning a championship after coming together as a team, Veleno’s 2-goal performance and playing on a line with Rasmussen and Filip Zadina:
Patrik Rybar was very accommodating in speaking with me despite not being comfortable with his English, and we discussed his performance, the ways in which the team in front of him made his job easier, and his adjustment to the North American game under the tutelage of goaltending coaches Jeff Salajko and Brian Mahoney-Wilson:
Michael Rasmussen spoke with the assembled media regarding the team’s performance, his goal, the championship game to come and his team’s and his own ability to keep an even keel against a pesky Rangers team:
Finally, coach Ben Simon spoke at length regarding his team’s performance, the ways in which his team has come together and learned from the coaching staff over the course of a short tournament, what going to a championship game means and how Veleno, Gallant, Axel Holmstrom and others performed during the game:
