DETROIT, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Captain Steve Yzerman's emotional return proved to be an inspirational one Monday night as the Detroit Red Wings took sole possession of first place in the Central Division with a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Yzerman played for the first time this season after missing the first five months following right knee surgery. He entered the game a minute into the contest and was greeted with a standing ovation.
After helping the Red Wings to their third Stanley Cup championship in six years, Yzerman underwent surgery to alleviate pain that bothered him throughout last season's playoffs.
The longest-serving captain in NHL history, Yzerman took 17 shifts, playing 12:52, and won nine faceoffs.
Brett Hull, Igor Larionov and Sergei Fedorov each contributed a goal and an assist and backup goaltender Manny Legace made 26 saves for Detroit, which moved two points ahead of the St. Louis Blues in the Central.
The Red Wings improved to 6
0-1 in their last seven games, scoring at least four goals on five occasions over that span.
After falling behind 4-1, Los Angeles tallied three times over the second half of the game, but fell to 1-2-0 on its five-game road trip - which ends Thursday in Columbus.
Mathieu Schneider, Ian Laperriere, Eric Belanger and Derek Armstrong scored for the Kings, who lost for the first time in three meetings with the Red Wings this season (1-1-1).
Detroit is 4
1 in its last five home contests with Los Angeles.
