Wings Down Leafs in Exhibition Home Opener

In their first game back at Joe Louis Arena since winning the Stanley Cup there last June, the Detroit Red Wings held off a late charge by the Toronto Maple Leafs and picked up a 3-2 win.

After leading the game 3-0 at the start of the third period, the Red Wings allowed goals from Tomas Kaberle and Robert Reichel to pull the Maple Leafs to within one. Kaberle’s tally came came on a Toronto power play at the 11:10 mark of the period when he deflected a wrist shot off of Detroit rookie Henrik Zetterberg and past netmider Mark Lamothe. Reichel scored during a six-on-four advantage for the Leafs with just 1:19 remaining.

Detroit had taken the lead early on a goal by Zetterberg at 5:55 of the first period. He and Darren McCarty broke in on Maple Leafs’ goaltender Trevor Kidd. Kidd ignored Zetterberg, leaving him open to punch a shot into the net after McCarty made the crossing pass.

Nicklas Lidstrom put Detroit up 2-0 late in the period with a goal originally credited to Jason Williams.

The eventual game-winner came off the stick of Jiri Fischer, back in the Detroit lineup after being diagnosed with a thickening of the heart. At the 2:44 mark of the second period, Fischer fired in a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle on a rebound attempt.

Manny Legace started the game for Detroit and stopped all fourteen shots he faced. Lemothe replaced him midway through the second and stopped twelve of fourteen shots.

Kidd stopped fifteen of the eighteen shots he faced in net for Toronto before being replaced by Mikael Tellqvist, who didn’t allow a goal on twelve shots.

---

Curtis Joseph did not play against his former team, he is slated to start Wednesday in Columbus and Friday against Dallas. He will not play Saturday when the Red Wings play the Maple Leafs in Hamilton, Ontario… Tuesday’s game was the first in Joe Louis Arena since NHL-mandated netting was installed at both ends of the rink.