Wings Down Isles in Osgood’s Return to Joe

Kris Draper outshined former roommate Chris Osgood as the Red Wings defeated the Islanders, 2-1, in Osgood’s first game back in Detroit after being sent to the New York Islanders in the NHL’s waiver draft.

The Islanders took an early lead in the match when Shawn Bates beat Detroit netminder Dominik Hasek from in front of the net just 1:05 into the game.

Draper took over from there. With Brendan Shanahan in the box at 16:06, Draper picked up the puck at center ice and beat Osgood on a breakaway chance.

Draper struck again in the second period, poking the puck past Osgood at 9:19.

The Islanders had their chances to tie the game up, but Hasek held strong and preserved the lead. With the Isles skating six men to four late in the third period Hasek turned aside shots from Adrian Aucoin with half a minute left and Roman Hamrlik with 7.2 seconds remaining.

Hasek ended the night with twenty-five saves on twenty-six shots, Osgood stopped twenty-six of twenty-eight. The Wings next hit the ice on Sunday in Chicago.