While the Colorado Avalanche shut out the Detroit Red Wings at home, the Red Wings gave the Avalanche a taste of their own medicine and did the exact same thing tonight.
With only two more games left before the Olympic break, the Colorado Avalanche hoped to spark a win streak to end this first half of the season, with the 4-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings as a catalyst. Well, the exact opposite happened, and with the power play continuing to get worse each game, the Avalanche got a taste of their own medicine, being shut out at home, with a 2-0 loss.
Period 1:
The Red Wings don’t waste any time as they come out early with a 2-on-1 opportunity, and it's Lucas Raymond from Marco Kasper to open the scoring, 1-0. Mason Appleton gets called for delay of game as he sends the puck over the glass, and the Avalanche gets their first power play of the night.
Though their power-play struggles continue, this unit looks nowhere near as good as it did back in Detroit. The first period did not look great for the Avalanche, as they were outshot 8-5, with Detroit getting a lot of offensive zone time and the Avalanche not generating much.
Period 2:
The second period wasn’t any better for both teams as a whole. Sam Malinski is called for tripping, and Taylor Makar is called for hooking, but the Avalanche continue to do a good job on the penalty kill and negate both penalties.
The Red Wings were able to adjust as the period went on, the Avalanche werent able to, and it showed. Missed passes, shots going wide on the net, and MacKenzie Blackwood having to come up with big saves to keep it within a one-goal game. Come the end of the period, the Avalanche were outshot 15-4 in the period, matching a season low in shots in the second period.
Period 3:
Albert Johansson called for tripping, but the Avalanche just can’t get anything going on the man-advantage. Blackwood is doing everything he can to keep the Avalanche in the game, including robbing Andrew Copp on the doorstep, as it was set up with Alex DeBrincat getting away from Clae Makar across the boards.
Blackwood is pulled with 2:30 remaining in the period, and Reymond finds the empty net to close the game off at 2-0. With this loss, this is the first time the Avalanche have been shut out this season. For the Red Wings, this is their first regulation win against the Avalanche since March 18, 2017.
The Avalanche face the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Feb 4, in their final game before the Olympic break.
