Buffalo vs. New York: The Championship Game at the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament

It’s safe to say the MSG Network got its dream matchup in the championship game of the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament, as the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres – despite both being beaten in their final round-robin game – got the nod to determine who had the better crop of young stars in the Empire State.

Columbus vs. Buffalo: Day 2 at the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament

 

The luck of the draw on David’s Rink at Centre ICE Arena today for the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament was that all four teams playing their today won their games yesterday. That made today’s games key to put the winners in the driver’s seat for a berth in Wednesday’s championship game. First up were the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo vs. Minnesota: Day 1 at the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament

The opening contest in the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament pitted the defending champion Minnesota Wild against tourney newcomers in the Buffalo Sabres. The game was delayed briefly to start thanks to a brief power problem which affected the circuit breaker powering the scoreboard and the P.A. microphone. But after the brief technical glitches, it was on to the banner raising ceremony for the Wild’s 2nd tourney championship and a ceremonial puck drop from Cammi Granato, the first female HOFer from the United States.