Red Wings-Blue Jackets prospect tournament Tweetcap: Justice Christensen’s two goals power Detroit to an OT win

The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects battled the Columbus Blue Jackets’ prospects in the final game of Detroit’s 2026 prospect tournament on Tuesday afternoon. Detroit hoped to improve upon its 1-and-1 record as both teams played in their 3rd game over the course of 4 days and nights.

On Tuesday afternoon, Columbus would open the scoring 9:05 into the 2nd, as Josh Eernisse, who had a great game, scored on a disputed marker (Augustine was pushed into his own net), but Detroit would rally on a power play marker by Justice Christensen at 11:11, and on a night where Columbus goaltender and former Toledo Walleye goalie Nolan Lalonde threatened to steal the show…

It took some late-game heroics for the Red Wings to earn their 3-2 OT win.
Columbus would push ahead 2-1 as Jordan Dumais scored a back-door power play marker (after Detroit had a trio of power plays, including a 4:00 double minor)…

But Noah Dower Nilsson would score at 19:00 off an Anton Johansson shot deflection to make it 2-2…

And, in overtime, Trey Augustine made two huge stops on Columbus players, Detroit slowly but surely tilted the ice back toward themselves, and Justice Christensen started and ended a play in which Sutter Muzzatti took a pass from Christensen to break out, Christensen crashed the net, and Muzzatti saucered Christensen a pass that would yield the OT winner.

Detroit ended the tournament 2-and-1, which ain’t bad.

PREGAME: Detroit dressed the following lineup, with Trey Augustine starting in goal for the Wings…

The Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker posted the lines and D pairings…

And the Blue Jackets dressed the following lineup of their own:

1ST PERIOD:

PENALTY: There was an unannounced penalty at 1:50 of the 1st period. Not sure which Blue Jacket got tagged…

The power play didn’t matter as the Wings got a bar shot by Noah Dower-Nilsson at the very end of the power play, generating some momentum but not scoring on Nolan Lalonde.

Detroit did carry play and pushed the puck through Columbus’ defenders onto Lalonde on a regular basis over the first 5 minutes of the game, however.

The Bear-Danielson-Dower-Nilsson line was dominant over the first seven or eight minutes, too.

Columbus came on as the period progressed toward its halfway mark, and Detroit’s Truscott took a penalty…

PENALTY: Jacob Truscott sat for tripping at 9:10 of the 1st period.

Myles Brosnan also stood up against Craig Armstrong at the Wings’ blueline, too.

By 14:30 of the 1st, Larry Figurski, who was broadcasting alongside Ken Kal on the Wings’ stream, reported that Columbus was out-shooting Detroit 8-6.

The period slowed down in a big way toward the end, at least in terms of scoring opportuities being exchanged. Both teams looked a little mentally and physically tired playing their 3rd game in 4 nights.

Brosnan really was the player of the game other than Augustine…

Columbus out-shot Detroit 9-7 in the 1st period.

END 1st period: 0-0 tie.

2ND PERIOD: The Red Wings came out on fire again…

And when Myles Brosnan made an error, Trey Augustine was there:

PENALTY: Brosnan sat at 4:20 of the 2nd for tripping.

GOAL: At 9:05 of the 2nd period, Josh Eernisse scored on a pass in which Owen Griffin pushed Augustine into the goal after being steered into Augustine by Kienan Draper. The ECHL refs let the goal stand, and it was 1-0 COLUMBUS in the 2nd period.

Thankfully, the Red Wings roared back with renewed offensive fury, and while I missed a big chunk of the 2nd taking care of my aunt, Justice Christensen did score the 1-1 marker on a one-timer via Jesse Kiiskinen’s pass…

GOAL: Justice Christensen scored a power play marker at 13:11 from Kiiskinen on the power play to tie the game 1-1…

And the Wings would press and pressure Columbus, but Nolan Lalonde kept the Blue Jackets level…

Then things got chippy all over the place, and Brady Ness drew a 4-minute power play, but again, Lalonde and the Blue Jackets’ defense stood up and kept the game tied 1-1.

END of the 2nd period: 1-1 tie.

3RD PERIOD:

The 3rd period began with both teams playing at an elite pace, and first Detroit pushed against Lalonde, and then Augustine had to make some big stops.

PENALTY: Columbus sat at 3:29 as Detroit earned its 3rd straight PP due to a trip on Noah Dower Nilsson.

We call this a “plug” in the business…

Trey Augustine also stopped a shorthanded breakaway by Eernisse, which was a huge stop, as Detroit over-complicated things on the PP.

Columbus then really battled the snot out of Detroit, and Trey Augustine was stellar in the Wings’ crease.

Defenseman Carter Hicks also took a puck to the face, under the visor, and he skated off the ice bleeding, so the Wings were blocking shots and sacrificing bodies in a big way.

PENALTY: Rowan Topp sat for dumping Dylan James with a cross-check at 7:56 of the 3rd, giving Detroit its 4th straight power play.

Detroit couldn’t score again, so Columbus had killed 4 straight power plays…

At 10:53, Trey Augustine would make yet another set of good stops as Columbus threatened…

Theo Rochette also set up a fine chance by Dylan James with just over 8:00 left in regulation time…

PENALTY: Dylan James got tagged for delay of game at 12:22 of the 3rd period/with 7:38 remaining.

GOAL: Despite being covered, Jordan Dumais was able to sneak behind the Wings’ D and jam home a back-door, empty-net marker to give Columbus the 2-1 lead at 12:55 of the 3rd.

Dylan James did a hell of a job working with Theo Rochette in the 3rd, but he couldn’t convert…

GOALIE PULL: With 2:11 remaining in regulation, Detroit pulled Augustine.

GOAL: 6-on-5, Anton Johansson’s shot was tipped off its target by a block, but it went to Noah Dower Nilsson, who scored the 2-2 marker at 19:00 3rd.

IN OVERTIME…Trey Augustine made two tremendous saves off turnovers and rushes against…

GOAL: Off a play started by Justice Christensen, Christensen gave the puck to Sutter Muzzatti, Muzzatti riffled the puck back to Christensen in the slot, and Justice got his 2nd goal of the night, scoring the 3-2 OVERTIME WINNER.

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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