Red Wings miss chance to gain ground in wild-card race, fall 5-2 to Avalanche

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News on Mar 25, 2025

Published in Hockey

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DENVER — You knew this wasn't going to be easy, the third game in four nights and against a powerful Colorado team.

If ever there was going to be a scheduled defeat this was likely it — and it was Tuesday for the Red Wings, losing to 5-2 to the Avalanche.

J.T. Compher (power play) scored his eighth goal in the first period, but Colorado scored the next four goals and sent the Wings to their 10th loss in the last 13 games.

Cale Makar (27th goal), Valeri Nichushkin (19th), Devon Toews (8th, power play), Nathan MacKinnon (29th, power play) and Logan O'Connor (8th goal, empty net) scored Avalanche goals.

MacKinnon's goal, at 8 minutes, 34 seconds, gave Colorado a 4-1 lead in the third period before Austin Watson scored his second goal in two games at 16:53, cutting the lead to 4-2.

But O'Connor's empty-net goal ended any suspense.

Ottawa (79 points) and Montreal (75), the two teams holding the Eastern Conference wild-card spots, both lost Tuesday, as the Wings (72 points) missed an opportunity to creep closer in the playoff chase.

Compher gave the Wings a 1-0 lead in the first period. Michael Rasmussen found Compher alone in the slot, and Compher whipped a shot past goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood at the 6-minute mark.

But Colorado quickly answered. Makar got the puck at the point and lifted a shot that bounced off a body in front and went wide of goaltender Alex Lyon just 44 seconds after Compher scored.

The Avalanche took the lead for good on Nichushkin's goal at 12:52. In close, Nichushkin jammed a puck in close past Lyon, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 lead.

Toews opened a two-goal cushion for the Avalanche with a blast from the point that cleanly beat Lyon at 4:39 of the second period.

Lyon, who started and won in relief of Petr Mrazek (lower-body) Monday in Utah, earned a start Tuesday after Cam Talbot came down with an undisclosed injury. The Wings recalled goaltender Sebastian Cossa from Grand Rapids to back up Lyon under emergency conditions.