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Coach Jeff Blashill addresses his players near the end of this morning's practice.

(Brendan Savage | MLive.com)

TRAVERSE CITY – The best the Detroit Red Wings can hope for in their annual prospects tournament is a third-place finish.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have locked up a spot in Tuesday's championship game against Dallas after sweeping their first three games to clinch the Gordie Howe Division with nine points.

Teams are awarded three points for a regulation victory, two for winning in overtime or a shootout, and one for losing in OT or a shootout.

With a victory at 7 tonight against Minnesota, the Red Wings will lock up second place in the Howe Division and play either the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The winner would finish third.

Here are the four tie-breakers:

• Most points earned in head-to-head play. If three teams are tied in points, the points earned in games involving those three teams in head-to-head play shall count.

• Best goals scored vs. goals against differential.

• Most goals scored in all team games. (Shootout goals do not count.)

• Coin toss.

Minnesota is 1-1 for two points entering tonight's game against the Red Wings. The Wild have been outscored 9-8. St. Louis is 0-3 but two losses came in overtime so the Blues have two points. St. Louis has been outscored 17-10.

The Red Wings have two points and have been outscored 10-9.

In the Lindsay Division, Dallas finished 3-0 after beating Buffalo 7-3 today. The loss gave the Sabres an 0-2-1 record.

The Rangers are 1-0-1 for three points and are 5-5 in total goals entering tonight's game vs. Carolina, which is 1-1 for two points and has outscored its opponents 8-5.

The championship game is at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

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