It will be a big night for Tim Kennedy tonight when the Sabres meet Detroit in Joe Louis Arena, as I wrote in today's sports section. Kennedy was a star at Michigan State and helped the Spartans win the Frozen Four in 2007 with ace linemate Justin Abdelkader, who scored the NCAA title-winning goal on a Kennedy feed with 18.9 seconds left in the championship game over Boston College. Abdelkader is trying to make the Red Wings roster and will be on the other side of the ice tonight.
Abdelkader cracked the Detroit lineup last year -- just in time to score his first two career goals in the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh.
"It was really cool. I watched all the games really close," Kennedy said. "When he scored that first one, I was sitting back stunned and it was like you scored your first goal. That's how close we were. I talked to him after that game. He thought they had that series wrapped up and probably the whole world thought they had it wrapped up. It would have been really special for him to get his name on the Cup."
Here's a look back at the dramatic NCAA final from 2007, including Kennedy's tying goal midway through the third period and the Abdelkader winner.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
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Colleges, minors | NHL | Sabres
