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Colorado Edges Out Detroit 2-1

The Detroit Red Wings (15-47-5) and Colorado Avalanche (39-18-7 )took the ice in a Monday night matchup, opening another chapter in hockey’s greatest (bloodiest) rivalry. The Avalanche journeyed to Detroit on an eight game road winning streak. Colorado’s Michael Hutchinson picked up his first start with Colorado as the Avalanche battle for first place in the Central Division. Despite the predictions of Detroit fans who paid to see a game on a Monday, Darren McCarty and Claude Lemieux did NOT box in between periods. Those unfortunate attendees were instead forced to watch the Red Wings play a hockey game.

First Period

Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstr… Detroit’s Gustav Lindstrom went to the box early on a holding call. The Red Wings killed off the penalty thanks to multiple wide open back-door tries sent wide by the Avalanche. After killing the penalty, Detroit tilted the ice the other way, with a strong offensive possession culminating in an Anthony Mantha goal 5:48 into the first period. Mantha kicked a rebound off of Avalanche goaltender Michael Hutchinson’s pad onto his stick and through the five-hole to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead, giving him 15 in 40 games played and 9 in 11 since returning from injury.

Colorado’s power-play would get a second chance 10:17 into the first, as Trevor Daley went to the box for tripping. Detroit cleared the puck after a long minute-and-a-half shift and killed the power-play dropping the Avs to 0/2 on the night. Colorado tied the game at 1-1 shortly after as Vladislav Namestnikov found the puck in his feet on the doorstep, kicking it to his stick and slotting it into a wide open net. Namestnikov’s goal was his first with the Avalanche.

The 1-1 score held to the end of the first period.

END OF 1:

Score: Avalanche 1-1 Red Wings

Shots: Avalanche 13-4 Red Wings

Bench Brawls: 0

Second Period

Detroit opened the second period looking to generate offense after only mustering up four shots in the first frame. Despite not recording a shot through the first four minutes, Dylan Larkin split the Avalanche defense and broke towards goal before being brought down by a trip. Detroit’s power-play got their first chance of the game 3:53 into the second period. Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin, and Filip Hronek combined for shot attempts but only one found its way to the net. A high stick on Detroit’s greatest player to ever wear #89 Sam Gagner gave the Wings a short 5-on-3 and extended power-play. Larkin fired a back-door one-timer off the goalpost as the two-man advantage expired. Colorado’s lane presence was critical in limiting quality scoring opportunities. Detroit only managed three shots on the extended man-advantage. Detroit and Colorado went toe-to-toe physically for a ten minute stretch of scoreless hockey.

On one end, Robby Fabbri leveled Gabriel Landeskog with an open ice hit. On the other, Colorado’s Logan O’Connor came off the bench onto a breakaway and beating Bernier’s glove-side to make it 2-1 Avalanche 14:31 into the second. The Red Wings offensive struggles continued as they only added three shots to their game total after the earlier power-plays, ending the period with 10.

Filip Hronek took a tripping penalty in the final minute of the period. 20 seconds into the man-advantage, Colorado’s Tyson Jost took an interference penalty for 4-on-4 hockey. A no-call high stick on Dylan Larkin flared tempers. Anthony Mantha closed out the period by missing a breakaway five-hole attempt at the buzzer. A no-call high stick on Dylan Larkin flared tempers as the ensuing post-whistle dust-up begged to turn into a bench-brawl, but the hockey gods did not smile on the Motor City tonight.

END OF 2:

Score: Avalanche 2-1 Red Wings

Shots: Avalanche 21-10 Red Wings

Goalie Fights: 0

Third Period

The final frame opened with 1:12 of carryover 4-on-4. Trevor Daley took his second penalty of the game 7:37 into the period, giving Colorado their fourth power-play of the game. Detroit held Colorado to one shot on all four power-plays. Frans Nielsen fired a two-on-one chance high and wide as the power-play expired followed by an Anthony Mantha chance bringing Little Caesars Arena to life. Larkin and Mantha found themselves being double shifted often in the latter half of the third period as the Wings looked for an equalizer. Gabriel Landeskog had to leave the ice with a small cut on his nose, the closest the matchup got to Fight Night at the Joe. In the words of Mickey Redmond: “Ya can’t play with open blood flying around anymore.”

Colorado took a bench minor for too-many-men 14:14 into the third. The Avs killed off the penalty, dropping the Red Wings to 0-4 on the night. Detroit pulled Bernier with under two minutes left in the game. The Avalanche held off and won their seventh straight game, taking down the Red Wings 2-1.

END OF 3:

Score: Avalanche 2-1 Red Wings

Shots: Avalanche 27-18 Red Wings

Large-scale on-ice melees: 0

NOTES:

  • Jimmy Howard had his third son this morning.
  • Anthony Mantha’s goal, his 15th of the season, was his first career point against the   Colorado Avalanche. He has now recorded a point against every team in the NHL.
  • Alexis Lafrenière has 8 goals and 12 assists in 11 games in the past month.
  • The season ends in 33 days./

SCORING SUMMARY:

First Period-

DET goal: Anthony Mantha (15) at 5:48. Assisted by by D. Larkin and A. Biega

COL goal: Vladislav Namestnikov (14) at 12:50. Assisted by R. Graves and V. Nichushkin

Second Period-

COL goal: Logan O’Connor (2) at 15:31. Assisted by G. Landeskog and N. MacKinnon

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