Wings Drop Second Exhibition

The Detroit Red Wings lost their second exhibition game in as many nights on Saturday, falling to the New York Rangers 5-3.

The game saw the return of Dominik Hasek to the Red Wings’ lineup for the first time since Game Five of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, when he claimed the NHL’s championship trophy for the first time in his career. It was also free agent signing Derian Hatcher’s Detroit debut.

The Rangers opened the scoring on the power play at 9:56 of the first period. Defenseman Tom Poti pinched in and picked up the puck as it bounced through the crease, flipping it over a sprawling Hasek for his first goal of the preseason.

The Rangers extended their lead on another power play with only 46 seconds remaining in the period, as Petr Nedved beat Hasek for his first preseason goal.

Detroit rookie Jiri Hudler responded in the second period, putting a bouncing puck past Rangers netminder Jussi Markkanen with 7:08 remaining in the period.

The Rangers extended their lead with a third power play goal. With just 1:59 remaining in the second Nedved scored his second of the game, rifiling a shot over Hasek’s shoulder from right in front of the Detroit goalie.

Detroit bounced back on another Hudler goal just 23 seconds later, and the period ended with the Wings down by a goal.

Tomas Holmstrom pulled Detroit even with the Rangers at 6:24 of the third period while the Wings had the man-advantage but Poti notched his second of the game and the Rangers’ fourth power play goal at 10:41 and New York was up for good.

With fourth-string goalie Joey MacDonald on the bench for the extra attacker, Rangers’ rookie Dominick Moore scored into the empty net to clinch the New York victory.

MacDonald allowed one goal on the two shots he faced after replacing Hasek at the start of the third. Hasek stopped eleven of the fourteen shots he faced in the first two periods. Markkanen stopped twenty-two of the twenty-five shots he faced playing the entire game in the Rangers’ goal.

The Red Wings will next be in action Wednesday when the Boston Bruins visit Joe Louis Arena.