Yahoo Sports Stars Fall to Red Wings Twice in Traverse City
For hockey fans who have waited through a long, hot summer, the first sign that hockey is back is the annual prospect tournaments that take place mid-September before training camps start.
The Dallas Stars have been attending the Traverse City tournament for several years to give their prospects a chance to showcase themselves. Although it is no longer a tournament with multiple teams, the Stars and the Detroit Red Wings were able to play each other twice in two days.
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Made up of the younger prospects in the organization, the team was coached by the Texas Stars coaching staff and only had two formal practices before being put to the test.
In the first game on Saturday, the Stars came out hot, dominating in the first period. Around the halfway mark in the first period, Detroit's Josh Van Mulligen went to the box for tripping, giving the Stars their first power play of the game. Emil Hemming, the Stars first round pick in this year's draft, found new offseaon signing and fellow Finn Arttu Hyry who opens the scoring for both teams. The Stars were able to kill two penalties in the first period and come out unscathed.
In the second period, the Red Wings made several adjustments and were able to diffuse the offensive pressure the Stars were putting on them. This allowed them to get their game into gear and challenge the Stars net-minder Benjamin Kraws. The Wings began to pepper Kraws with shots, but he stayed solid and kept them in the game. The Stars were still up 1-0 going in the third period, but in the final frame, Detroit kept their energy up. At the three minute mark, they were able to tie the game up with a goal from Charlie Paquette.
Not even two minutes later, the Red Wings found the back of the net again on a defensive breakdown, with Gabriel Seger getting on the score sheet for Detroit. The Stars couldn't stop the bleeding there, and 30 seconds later, Joey Henneberry gets called for tripping and the Stars are down a man. The penalty kill unit is able to kill off most of the tripping penalty when Justin Ertel is called for a delay of game, putting the Stars on a 5v3 penalty kill. The puck is dropped and five seconds later Jakub Rychlovksy makes it 3-1 for the Red Wings.
After a less than ideal first seven minutes of the third period, the Stars start to try to push back offenisvely, getting some shots on goal. But pushing back so hard offensively, led to more defensive breakdowns. Around the 14 minute mark, Alexandre Doucet beats Kraws again, putting the dagger in the game. Although, with a little over three minutes left in the game, to get some 6v5 practice, the Stars pull their goalie, but it doesn't last long, Doucet nails the empty net for this second of the game. The Stars drop the first game 5-1. The shots on goal were 38-18, Red Wings.
For Game 2 earlier today, the Stars had a chance to redeem themselves and even up the standings before heading back to Texas. The changes in the lineup for Game 2 were Bryan Thompson in net and Gavin White was swapped out for 2024 fifth-round draft pick, Niilopekka Muhonen. Although Game 2 left the chance for a new slate, the first period started the same way Game 1 ended. The Stars weren't getting a lot of chances, but they were able to fend the Red Wings off with a little more than five minutes left in the period and Doucet, who scored two goals in Game 1, opened up the scoring for Game 2. And just like the day before, shortly after allowing a goal, the Stars find themselves on the penalty kill after Lian Bichsel is called for high-sticking.
The Stars kill the penalty and go into the second period trailing 1-0. In the opening two minutes of the second period Tristan Bertucci is called for tripping and the Stars are back on the penalty kill. The Stars are able to kill it and there isn't much action for about ten minutes of play untilnHemming gets one through from far out. Luke Krys gets the lone assists, but Hyry was heavily involved in the play as well. However, the game doesn't stayed tied long when Hunter Johannes puts the Red Wings back on top.
The third period is once again opened with a penalty, this time within the first minute, Chase Wheatcroft gets called for hooking. The Stars kill that penalty but aren't so lucky later in the period when they are called for too many men, a penalty served by Jake Karabela. Emmitt Finnie makes the Stars pay and they find themselves down 3-1 with about six minutes left in the game. The Stars are unable to convert anything until they pull their goalie and add an extra attacker. Anthony Romano puts an unassisted buzzer beater in the back of the net at the 19:59 mark of the third period, although it is still not enough to take the win. The Stars fall 3-2 to the Red Wings. The shot totals for the game were 30-20, Red Wings.
A few key standouts for the Stars were Hyry and Hemming, who played well together and seemed to find some chemistry. Krys was impressive on the blue-line and was able to showcase getting involved offensively. Krys played in the NCAA at Brown University and Providence College before getting an amateur try out with the Texas Stars last season, where he played 12 games. Bichsel, who Stars fans are very excited about, stood out for his size, amongts many other reasons. And last but not least, Kraws made a case for himself to fight for the starting role in Cedar Park. the Texas Stars also have Remi Poirier, whose contract ends at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Despite heading back to Texas without any wins under their belt, the Stars had a lot of good moments and got some experience of playing with potential teammates. Training camp starts on Thursday and there are some prospects who will get another opportunity to show their stuff.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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