Rangers Prospects: Rangers rally to beat Blues 5-4 in Traverse City Tournament

Official Press Release from the New York Rangers:

Thursday, September 10, 2009 - New York Rangers 5, St. Louis Blues 4

• The New York Rangers prospects defeated the St. Louis Blues prospects, 5-4, to finish in third place at the 2009 Traverse City (Michigan) Prospects Tournament.

• The Rangers prospects notched three consecutive goals in the third period, including two goals in a 94-second span. New York out-shot St. Louis, 43-31, in the contest.

• The Blueshirts prospects were five-for-five on the penalty kill to finish the tournament, 21-for-22, in shorthanded situations.

• Evgeny Grachev, the Rangersʼ third round selection (75th overall) in 2008, notched two goalson four shots and posted a team-high, plus-three rating. Grachev finished the tournament with a team-high, three goals in four games. He also tied for third in the tournament with a plus-five rating, and sixth with 15 shots.

• Rangersʼ prospects captain, Dale Weise, sealed the victory with an empty net goal in the final minute, added an assist and registered a team-high, six shots. Weise, the Rangersʼ fourth round pick (111th overall), tied for second on the team with four points (two goals and two assists) in four games, and tied for sixth overall in the tournament with 15 shots.

• Ethan Werek, selected in the second round (47th overall) in 2009, tallied one goal to finish the tournament tied for second on the team with four points (two goals and two assists).

• Roman Horak collected one assist and posted a plus-two rating. Selected in the fifth round (127th overall) in 2009, Horak finished the tournament with three points (one goal and two assists) and tied for third among all skaters with a plus-five rating.

• Scott Stajcer, the Rangersʼ fifth round selection, 140th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, turned aside 27 of 31 shots in net for New York to improve to 1-1-0 in the tournament.

• Defenseman Tomas Kundratek, selected in the third round (90th overall) in 2008, and free agent signings Sam Klassen (July 27, 2009) and Paul Crowder (March 19, 2009) each collected one assist in the contest. Kundratek (one goal and one assist) and Klassen (one goal and one assist) finished tied for sixth in points among tournament defensemen.