Team Red Topples Team White 5-3 in Prospects Game

It was Ruslan Bashkirov and not Angelo Esposito who made the Quebec Remparts fans stand and cheer.

Bashkirov scored twice to lead Team Red to a 5-3 victory over Remparts teammate Esposito’s Team White in the Top Prospects Game on Wednesday night.

"It was overwhelming," the Russian winger said through a translator. "I didn’t expect that kind of success, so I’m very happy about it."

Bashkirov’s goals helped the side coached by Pat Burns and Michel Bergeron build a 4-1 lead, then hang on to win over a team led by Scotty Bowman and Jacques Demers.

"He’s a good player and he’s done a lot for us this year," said Esposito, the No. 1 ranked player in North America heading into this year’s NHL draft. "It’s good to see him do well."

Logan MacMillan and Jakub Voracek of the Halifax Mooseheads also scored as the Reds got four goals on 14 shots in the first half of the game on Peterborough Petes goaltender Trevor Cann.

Stefan Legein of the Mississauga Ice Dogs scored into an empty net with 1:01 left to play for the Reds.

Oscar Moller of the Chilliwack Bruins scored against Jeremy Smith of the Plymouth Whalers, while Keven Veilleux of the Victoriaville Tigres and Maxim Gratchev of the Rimouski Oceanic scored on Linden Rowatt of the Regina Pats for Team White.

Bashkirov’s line with Akim Aliu of the Sudbury Wolves and David Skokan of the Rimouski Oceanic had good pressure on most of its shifts and was the best trio on the ice.

When ask to pick the most eye-catching players, Burns chose Bashkirov and Aliu, the six-foot-three 210-pound winger whose forechecking and physical presence was a menace to the White defence.

"Aliu really impressed me," said Burns. "He’a big guy.

"He doesn’t play for fun. You can see it in his eyes."

Aliu, of Toronto, said he played with "two pretty skilled guys and we worked off each other."

He rated the Top Prospects Game as "one of the best things I’ve ever done.

"It’s the best players for the draft and I got to see the skill levels of guys in other leagues," he said. "It was fun and I enjoyed myself."

The match pitting 40 of the best prospects for the NHL draft in June drew 7,672 spectators to the 15,000-seat Pepsi Colisee for a fast-paced but loose game among players not used to playing together.

"It was really fun," Burns added about his first stint behind the bench since his battles with colon cancer, which started in 2004. "It was different for the players.

"It was three really emotional days for them and I though they were a little tired by the second period."

It was a quiet game for crowd favourite Esposito, who has battled a flu this week, and linemate Patrick Kane of the London Knights, two of the top-ranked 17-year-olds in North America. They were shut out..

Esposito was hit twice for minor penalties.

"I played a so-so game," he said. "I did what I could.

"It’s finished now, water under the bridge, and we have to get on with the season."

Demers pointed to Colton Gillies and Brandon Sutter, son of former NHLer Brent Sutter, as players on his team that impressed.

Tyson Sexsmith of the Vancouver Giants stopped all 15 shots he faced.

Moller opened the scoring unassisted at 6:11 after a Vielleux hit freed up the puck in the slot for a Moller wrist shot that beat Smith.

"There’s a lot of good guys here but we haven’t played together," said Moller. "We just tried to do what we’re here for and keep it simple."

Bashkirov tied it 46 seconds later after a sweet feed on a rush from Aliu. MacMillan put the Reds in front at 8:16 with a tap into an open side after a reverse pass from Nick Palmieri of the Erie Otters.

Bashkirov got two cracks at the puck at the side of the net to score 4:24 into the second and Voracek made it 4-1 from alone in front.

Veilleux got one back on a power play with 32 seconds left in the second with a nice move on Rowatt.

The Reds had more penalty trouble to open the third and Gratchev closed the gap to 4-3 when jumped on a loose puck and beat Rowatt at 7:26.

The celebrity coaches enjoyed the game, partly because working junior coaches Patrick Roy of the Remparts and Benoit Groulx of the Gatineau Olympiques ran the benches.

But Bergeron, true to his old Quebec Nordiques form, couldn’t help but mention that his Red team was hit with five straight minors after taking a 4-1 lead.

"Nothing’s changed (in hockey)," Bergeron said in mock outrage.

"There’s a guy with a loaf of bread under each arm who says he’s hungry," shot back Bowman.

Story Courtesy of Sportsnet.ca