Red Wings beat Maple Leafs in first Alumni Showdown game

By Stefan Kubus –

DETROIT – In the first of a Winter Festival Alumni Showdown doubleheader, Detroit trumped their cross-border rivals from Toronto by a 5-4 final at Comerica Park beneath a majestic snowfall.

With the Red Wings alumni scoring early and often, it looked like the players hadn’t missed a beat.

Defenseman Jiri Fischer opened scoring for the Red Wings early in the first of two periods. Former Michigan State Spartan Kevin Miller added a second just shortly after for a 2-0 lead on a feed from former Michigan Wolverine Aaron Ward.

“I didn’t know what to think,” Fischer said. “The puck went in and I don’t know, do I celebrate, do I not? Is it going to be embarrassing, is it not? It certainly felt great, but as the game evolved, that was maybe the last goal in the Red Wings uniform for most of us to score, so it was a lot of fun.”

Stew Gavin and Todd Warriner tied things up for Toronto with just minutes to play in the opening half, but Petr Klima scored to send Detroit off to the locker room with a 3-2 lead.

“It was fun to get out there and actually raise your arms and get us in the game,” Gavin said. “Always fun to score a goal. Unless you’re a goalie, it’s always special.”

Despite the Maple Leafs’ effort, the Red Wings started the second half just like they opened the first.

Pat Verbeek and Aaron Ward scored early in the second half to extend the lead to 5-2.

But around the halfway point, the momentum quickly swung in favor of the Maple Leafs. A monumental save at one end by Mark Laforest quickly led to a Brad May – he also formally played for Detroit – goal at the other end on a beautiful passing play.

With 2:31 to go in the game, Tom Fergus pulled Toronto within one with a wrister from the point to make it a 5-4 game.

In the closing minutes, 74-year-old Red Berenson gathered the troops to direct the plan of action in order to keep the puck out of the Detroit net and seal the 5-4 victory.

“We talked about what we were going to do, just old time hockey,” Berenson said. “I’m going to tie up the other centerman, Jiri’s going to come in and get the puck and then we’re going to either wheel it around or chip it out on the short side, so we had it figured out.”

Berenson certainly didn’t skate like he was 74, and credits staying on the ice all these years as the real key to his fit shape.

“I think I’m lucky,” Berenson said. “I’ve been able to stay in the game and stay around young kids, with them playing college hockey and I’m on ice with them… I just feel honored to play in this event with guys that are all still younger than me.”