Follow Michael Whitaker On X [https://x.com/mwhitaker_89] Former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, one of the most legendary figures not only in the history of Motor City hockey but in the NHL, celebrates his birthday today. And it was on this day in 2002 that it was made extra special thanks to a gift served up to him by St. Louis Blues goaltender Brent Johnson. The Red Wings were in the midst of a second round series against the St. Louis Blues, leading two games to one. After initially falling behind by a 1-0 score thanks to a power-play goal from Scott Young, Detroit rebounded with three straight goals from Brendan Shanahan, Jiri Fischer, and Tomas Holmstrom. In the third period, Johnson caught a dump-in attempt and tried the clear the puck himself, unaware that Yzerman was barreling down on him. The puck deflected off Yzerman and into the net, giving his team a commanding 4-1 lead. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/] team site to stay connected to the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day]coverage, and player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players]. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/90d465ff-6db4-4df7-bc71-54ad002e9436.webp] The Red Wings withstood a late comeback effort from the Blues, winning the game 4-3 and taking a 3-1 series they'd later close out in Detroit in Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena. The series win set up a date with the rival Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwnuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] favorites! Image [https://cdn.ramp-assets.playwire.com/1025444/76033/house_ads/file-1762367418209.jpg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
