WINGS 5, KINGS 2: Yzerman on ice for Wings

WINGS 5, KINGS 2: Yzerman on ice for Wings
BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

October 14, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- Late in the second period, Steve Yzerman sprawled out, his stick extended, swiping at a puck. The puck went wide, and Yzerman went on. A success story, there.

Thursday's 5-2 Detroit victory at Staples Center was Yzerman's first game in about a year and a half. He hadn't played since leaving the ice May 1, 2004 after an errant puck smashed the area around his left eye. The injury required eye surgery the same day.

Yzerman, 40, has long since healed from that injury, but his comeback this season was delayed four games after he tore a groin muscle during training camp. But after putting in several good skates, Yzerman declared himself fit and started Thursday's game on a checking line with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby.

The night was another milestone for another starter: Chris Chelios, 44 in January, played in his 1400th NHL game.

Yzerman's first period was relatively muted. He was in a scrum along the boards trying to control the puck and was at Detroit's blue line just in time to chip the puck out and away from Jeremy Roenick.

In the second period, Yzerman got called for hooking, and his attempt at scoring would have boosted an otherwise forgettable period for the Wings, who had taken the early lead.

In the first period Brendan Shanahan scored his third goal of the season when linemate Jason Williams carried the puck in L.A.'s zone and threw it on net just as Shanahan rushed down the right side, in position to backhand the puck past Mathieu Garon at 17:45.

Former Wing Sean Avery tied the game about three minutes into the second period. Maltby restored Detroit's lead in the third when he intercepted a pass and skated in to flip the puck high, scoring short-handed.

In the span of one minute the game was tied, then untied: Roenick got credited for a goal though it appeared the puck went off Jason Woolley; Johan Franzen restored the lead, scoring from the right circle. Henrik Zetterberg and Jiri Fischer each added empty-netters in the last minute.