Avalanche 4 - 3 Red Wings
Final
  for this game

Avalanche send Red Wings to second straight home loss

Feb 26, 2012 - 3:50 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings started a new home streak against Colorado on Saturday: a losing one.

Standout rookie Gabriel Landeskog netted his 17th and 18th goals of the season, and new linemate Steve Downie registered a goal and two assists in the Avalanche's 4-3 win.

"I'm having a lot of fun playing hockey right now," Landeskog said. "I think our whole team is and we're trying to get on a roll."

Ryan O'Reilly, the centerman between Landeskog and Downie, picked up three helpers.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 28 saves for Colorado, which has won three in a row and improved to 6-2-1 in its last nine to stay in the thick of the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Jiri Hudler scored two of Detroit's three third-period goals.

Jimmy Howard stopped 23 shots for the Red Wings, who have lost two straight at Joe Louis Arena and three consecutive games overall.

Detroit, of course, was riding an NHL-record 23-game home winning streak before losing in a shootout to Vancouver on Thursday.

The Red Wings trailed 3-0 entering the third, but opened the frame on a power play and Hudler converted a feed from Valtteri Filppula 44 seconds in.

Downie, who was obtained this week from Tampa Bay in the three-team trade that also sent defenseman Kyle Quincey to Detroit, made it 4-1 at the 9:13 mark.

Hudler scored on a redirection in front of Giguere at 13:22, then Filppula banged home a rebound of a Hudler shot in a goal-mouth scramble at 14:53.

The Red Wings continued to press for the equalizer, but one wasn't forthcoming.

Landeskog opened the scoring 1:35 into the contest, gathering Downie's deflected pass from behind the net in the slot and beating Howard.

David Jones pumped home a short-handed goal 67 seconds later. Former Av Quincey lost the puck in a collision in the Detroit zone and the turnover led to Jones ripping a shot past Howard's glove.

Landeskog then hammered an O'Reilly pass to make it 3-0 at the 13:35 mark of the middle stanza.

"We know we didn't play well at all defensively in those first two periods," said Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.

Game Notes

Colorado captain Milan Hejduk missed the game with a groin injury...Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson left the game with an upper-body injury...Giguere recently missed some time with a groin injury suffered in his last start at Vancouver on February 15...O'Reilly's second assist was his 100th career point.






Related News