DETROIT -- Veteran center Stephen Weiss made sure to retrieve the puck Tuesday night after 23-year-old rookie Teemu Pulkkinen gave the Detroit Red Wings a 1-0 lead against the Minnesota Wild.
Weiss wanted Pulkkinen to have a token to remember his first career goal.
Those goals are never forgotten, Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said after the team's 5-4 shootout win, recalling his own -- a goal set up by former teammate Chris Chelios, the first of many in his career.
Pulkkinen's laser beam of a shot made an impression on coach Mike Babcock, no small feat for a young player looking to make his mark among a stacked roster of star veterans such as Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk and a burgeoning crop of homegrown talent.
The next day, Pulkkinen was sent back to the team's minor league affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, to compete in the AHL All-Star Game and "work on some things," while the NHL broke for All-Star festivities of its own this coming weekend.
Such is the life for a Red Wings prospect. No matter how much skill, potential or promise one possesses, there is perhaps no trait more valuable than a keen sense of patience.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland did little to retool the roster this past July, much to the consternation of Wings fans pining for a splashy move (particularly an upgrade on defense).
Yet, Holland's steadfast belief in a process that has paid dividends over the years -- draft well, build positional depth, rely on quality talent development, all while preaching patience -- has proven to be a successful one.
The Red Wings head into the break with a five-game winning streak despite the fact that goaltender Jimmy Howard is on the shelf with a groin injury. They trail the Tampa Bay Lightning by just one point for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. And, as Pulkkinen showed, they seem to just continue replenishing an already-deep prospect pool each year, with talent continuing to emerge in Motown.
If Pulkkinen's brief stint in Detroit is a glimpse into the Red Wings' shrewd strategy, Tomas Tatar's ascent is a more comprehensive case study.
The 24-year-old winger is flourishing in his second full season with Detroit and was recently named the NHL's second star of the week after a five-game point streak yielded five goals and eight points.
Tatar leads the team with 21 goals and ranks fourth in scoring with 34 points through 47 games. It's been a stark contrast from the days when he was sitting out as an extra forward to begin the 2013-14 season.
"What I like about him is the tenacity to get the puck back, his ability to play hard. He loves to score," Babcock said. "Tats is in a journey, doing a real good job. We'd like him to turn into a top-six forward that can play all night every night against the best people."
Teammates have also taken notice of his impressive abilities. He's much stronger than many would think for a 5-foot-10, 185-pound guy -- that much is evident during battle drills or when he absorbs and reverses a hit during a game. Center Riley Sheahan said Tatar is a hound on the puck, too. Even when he loses it, he's usually only three strides away from getting it back.
"I guess 'resiliency' would be a good word for it," Sheahan told ESPN.com.
Resilience is something Tatar and other Red Wings prospects have had to have in ample reserve, what with the tiebreak always going to veterans in Babcock's lineup decisions and a roster that must feel near impossible to crack.
Tatar posted three straight 20-plus-goal seasons in the AHL before he got his first extended stay in Detroit.
"And look at what happens in Edmonton," one visiting broadcaster remarked recently. "Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gets a seven-year extension after scoring four goals [in 2013]."
Contracts, and roster spots, are earned in Detroit. Tatar knew that as he was honing his game in the minors with the Griffins, but it didn't make the road ahead any less daunting for the Slovakia native.
"I understood; at the same time, obviously it was a little frustrating," Tatar said. "But, I guess every young guy who's hungry feels that way. He's just waiting for the time he can get the shot with the Red Wings, the big team."
Now, Tatar has carved out that spot he craved while putting in his time in the minors. And for fellow youngsters Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Jurco and Sheahan -- all of whom continue to make an impact after helping the team limp into the playoffs last year -- it means a little more as a result.
"I think to be a part of a Red Wings team is something special, something we pride ourselves on," said Nyquist. "You've got to be ready to win to be a Red Wing."