The Colorado Avalanche haven't looked too hot at home as of late and they just shutout the Detroit Red Wings on the road. On Monday, Detroit will look to dish out the dagger.
The Detroit Red Wings rolled into Little Caesars Arena with dreams of giving the sold-out crowd a reason to cheer before the Olympic break.
By the end of three periods, those dreams had been firmly shut down by the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche, leaving the home crowd with little more than a chorus of boos.
After enduring back-to-back losses during what had been a topsy-turvy road trip, the league’s top-ranked club responded with a 5–0 shutout win over the Red Wings, despite being outshot 28–21.
Detroit captain Dylan Larkin offered a positive message to his group afterward, noting that Monday night would be an opportunity to prove this game was more of a fluke than a trend. In other words, revenge is very much on the Red Wings’ minds.
"We've got two really big games (left before the break)," Larkin explained afterward. "Every team is going through it, playing the same schedule. We've played a lot of hockey, and you get bumps and bruises, illnesses, you're going through it."
"It (the break) is coming at a good time, and I think it'll be huge for our team, but the beauty of this is that we get to play these guys again."
Avalanche Look to Rebound at Home
Home ice was sacred for the Avalanche earlier this season. At one point, they rattled off 17 straight wins at Ball Arena. Lately, though, that dominance has faded. Colorado has lost two straight at home and three of its last four since the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped that streak with a 4–3 overtime win on January 12.
Still, this matchup carries some intrigue. One team is trying to rediscover its home-ice mojo, while the other is likely feeling a bit salty after being shut out at home in a game it largely controlled. If nothing else, the last few games have shown that the Avalanche are, in fact, human—and Larkin is well aware of that.
"They're the number one team in the League, but they're not the best team ever," Larkin said of the Avalanche. "It's not like we're playing against guys that can't be beat, so we have to go into their building with something to prove and start a big two-game swing for us."
The answer comes Monday night at Ball Arena. Coverage starts at 7 p.m. local time as these longtime rivals collide once again.
