Red Wings win in nail biter, Columbus beats Toronto in OT

Sep. 17—TRAVERSE CITY — Top international NHL prospect Lucas Raymond said it wasn't his first game on the smaller sheet of ice, even though it was his first one in a Red Wings uniform.

"Personally I like it," said Raymond, a 19-year-old from Gothenburg, Sweden. "I feel like you got a chance to to make a play or score whenever you're in the offensive zone almost. And it's high pace, you have to think fast, and it's it's fast pace, and I like that kind of hockey. So I like it so far."

He showed that in Traverse City as the Red Wings topped the Dallas Stars in a 5-4 nail-biting win on the first day of the NHL Prospect Tournament at Centre Ice Arena.

Detroit took a 2-0 first-period lead and held onto it despite a three-goal rally from the Stars in the third period.

Kirill Tyutyayev, a 2019 seventh-round pick from Belarus, scored the first goal, assisted by Chase Pearson. The second goal was scored by Pearson, a 2015 fifth-round pick who plays for the Wings' American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids.

Fellow Swedish prospect Jonathan Berggren set up Raymond for a goal to make it 3-0 early in the second period. Raymond was the Red Wings first round pick in 2020, which was the fourth overall selection of that year's draft.

It's a connection Raymond is familiar with. He joined Berggren on the Swedish national team before and knows his Traverse City teammate well.

"He's an extremely skilled player," Raymond said of Berggren, who also said he's played one or two games with him before. "He's a good strong skater who has a great sense of the game and reading the game ... He is very unpredictable with the puck and makes plays and could create something out of nothing."

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill (who's parents Jim and Rosemary live in Traverse City) said on the team's broadcast that both Raymond and Berggren played well.

Blashill said Raymond played more physical than he'd have guessed.

"I've been impressed with his shot," Blashill said. "He can really shoot a puck for a guy that's had a reputation as a passer. He's a really cerebral player. He plays a thinking kind of game. It's not just all about speed with him, which a lot of younger players it is.

"I think he's a little different than a number of younger players coming up, not just in our organization but across the league. It'll be interesting to see him as he continues to get comfortable and he's able to use that great hockey sense that he has, the impact that he can have on a night-to-night basis."

Tyutyayev netted his second goal in the second period, joined by Joe Veleno with a goal of his own, to extend Detroit's lead to 5-1. Veleno was a 2018 first-round pick by Detroit.

Victor Brattstrom played in goal, fending off a Stars team that held a shot advantage for most of the game, and made a great pad save in the second period. Brattstrom earned the start over Sebastian Cossa, a Red Wings 2021 first-round pick who's also on their roster for the Traverse City tournament, and Jan Bednar from the 2020 draft class.

"Our plan for the goalies is to give them each a game," said Ben Simon, head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins and Red Wings prospect team.

Stars 2021 first-round pick Wyatt Johnston scored in the second period. Jacob Peterson scored the second goal for Dallas early in the third period to make it 5-2. Riley Tufte scored two quick goals for the Stars midway through the third period to cut the Red Wings lead to one, but Detroit finished on a power play and held onto its early lead to win.

The Red Wings play Saturday against the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m., then Sunday at 6 p.m. against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tickets are available at the door for $10. Games are steamed at DetroitRedWings.com, the Red Wings Facebook page and YouTube.

Columbus 4, Toronto 3 (OT)

The Columbus Blue Jackets opened the tournament up with a 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Josh Dunne scoring the game-winning goal in overtime.

Toronto lead 2-0 after the first period.

Dunne, 22, who captains the Blue Jackets team in Traverse City, played collegiately with Clarkston and signed with Columbus as an undrafted free agent in March of this year. After seven games with the team's AHL affiliate Cleveland Monsters, he was recalled by Columbus and made his NHL debut in a 4-1 win over Dallas April 15, 2021.

Follow Andrew Rosenthal on Twitter @ByAndrewR