Avalanche Finishes Three-Game Trip at Red Wings
Colorado looks for road trip sweep in Detroit
by Kate Reed / ColoradoAvalanche.com
The Colorado Avalanche is finishing a three-game road trip at the Detroit Red Wings on Monday. The Avs own a 2-0-0 mark so far on the trip.
Colorado defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday, its sixth straight victory and eighth consecutive road win. Martin Kaut recorded his second NHL goal, while Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson also netted goals. Nashville scored twice in the final six minutes of the third period, but the Avs held their ground and gained two points.
The Red Wings fell 4-3 to the Ottawa Senators in a shootout on Saturday. Detroit tallied the first two goals of the game, but the Senators scored three unanswered to gain the lead. Sam Gagner tied the game in the third to send the contest to the extra period and eventual shootout.
Monday's matchup concludes the season series between the Avalanche and Red Wings. Colorado won the first meeting 6-3 on Jan. 20.
Avalanche at Detroit Red Wings
Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Mich.
| Game Time: | 5:30 p.m. MT |
| TV: | KTVD 20, Altitude, Fox Sports Detroit (DET), NHL Nework (Blackouts apply) |
| Radio: | Altitude Sports Radio, FM 92.5/AM 950 (KKSE) |
| Live Streams: | NHL.tv, AltitudeNow.com, Official app (blackouts apply to all) |
| Online Audio: | Listen Live Here |
| Follow: | @Avalanche, Official app, Gamecenter |
COLORADO-DETROIT CONNECTIONS
Avs defenseman Ian Cole is from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and skated two seasons at the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor from 2005-2006… Colorado forward J.T. Compher also played at U.S. NTDP from 2011-2013 before skating three seasons at the University of Michigan from 2013-2016… Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestnikov's uncle Vyacheslav Kozlov was a member of the Stanley Cup-champion Red Wings teams in 1997 and 1998… Detroit goaltender Jonathan Bernier played for Colorado during the 2017-18 campaign… Detroit blueliner Cody Goloubef played 33 games with Colorado during the 2016-17 campaign… Red Wings defenseman Patrik Nemeth was a member of the Avalanche from 2017-2019.
HISTORY
Colorado defeated Detroit 6-3 on Jan. 20. Nazem Kadri and Nathan MacKinnon both scored two goals and Ryan Graves and Matt Nieto each netted one as well. Ten different Avalanche players registered at least a point in the game.
The Avs have won five straight games against the Wings, their most in the all-time series since moving to Denver in 1995 and tied for the most in franchise history (Quebec, five games, March 17, 1981-Oct. 20, 1982). Colorado owns a 55-61-10 franchise mark against the Red Wings and have not lost against the club since the 2016-17 campaign.
ROSTER REPORT
Vladislav Kamenev was a healthy scratch against the Predators while the Avs used 11 forwards and seven defensemen although Mark Barberio played as a forward in the contest. It was Barberio's first game since Dec. 18.
INJURY UPDATE
Andre Burakovsky (lower-body) is with the team on the road and is day-to-day… Matt Calvert (lower body), Philipp Grubauer (lower body), Nazem Kadri (lower body), and Mikko Rantanen (upper body) are out but expected to return by mid-March… Colin Wilson (lower body) continues to rehab and do off-ice training after two surgeries earlier this season.
SCOUTING THE RED WINGS
Detroit owns a 15-47-5 record this season and sits in last place in the Atlantic Division. The Red Wings have earned points in two of their last six games (1-4-1) and two of their last five home games (2-3-0). Detroit has had 201 power-play opportunities this season to rank 13th in the NHL and it scores on 14.9 percent of its chances. The Red Wings have killed 74.5 percent of their penalties, ranking 30th in the league.
(OPPOSING) PLAYER TO WATCH: Tyler Bertuzzi
Tyler Bertuzzi is the second leading point-getter for the Red Wings after registering 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) so far this campaign. Bertuzzi has won 66.7 percent of the faceoffs he's taken this season and is tied for the most power-play points (13; three goals, 10 assists) on Detroit.
Bertuzzi was selected in the second round (58th overall) of the 2013 draft by the Red Wings. He's tallied 113 points (46 goals, 67 assists) in 195 career outings.
NUMBERS GAME
.929
Pavel Francouz has a .929 save percentage and is tied for the second-best in the league. Francouz has started the past seven games for the Avalanche and is 6-0-1.
8
Colorado set a franchise record by earning its eighth straight road win in Nashville on Saturday. The previous record of seven games was set from Jan. 10-Feb. 7, 1999.
300
Erik Johnson's empty-net goal on Saturday was his 300th career point. Johnson is the first defenseman from the 2006 Draft to reach 300 points and the 37th U.S.-born blueliner to hit the mark. He has 79 career goals and 221 career assists in 770 NHL games.
NOTEBOOK
Colorado's eight straight road wins is the second-longest road winning streak in the NHL this season, one behind the Rangers' recent run of nine… The Avalanche leads all teams in road points (46) and wins (22) this year… Colorado swept the back-to-back on this road trip, the third back-to-back set in a row that the Avs have swept… The Avs won 11 games in February, tying the franchise record for the most wins in a single month (March 2007, January 2004)… Colorado's six game win streak is tied for its longest of the season (Nov. 27-Dec. 7)… The Avs are 19-6-4 against Eastern Conference opponents, the best record of any Western Conference team… Colorado, which finished 8-2-2 in October, 8-6-0 in November, 7-5-2 in December, 5-2-2 in January and 11-3-1 in February, will post a winning record in each of its first six months of a season for the first time since 2000-01.