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Emotions run high in loss to Red Wings

Hit on Lidstrom turns game into physical battle

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 19, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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The Avalanche's David Jones tries to outrace the Red Wings' Kurt Draper during Detroit's 4-0 loss Monday night. The Red Wings completed a 4-0 season sweep of the Avalanche with the win.

Photo by Chris Schneider / The Rocky

The Avalanche's David Jones tries to outrace the Red Wings' Kurt Draper during Detroit's 4-0 loss Monday night. The Red Wings completed a 4-0 season sweep of the Avalanche with the win.

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It wasn't quite like old times for two former archrivals Monday night.

But the Pepsi Center stands were full for a hockey game for the sixth time this season, and bad blood between the Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings was flowing again after several years of relative peace.

The biggest difference: The Avalanche would miss the playoffs if they began today, and the Red Wings were mired in a six-game losing streak.

The Red Wings looked as potent as ever while manhandling the Avalanche 4-0 to complete a sweep of the four-game season series - three times by shutout.

And they did it despite losing five-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom to a knee injury early in the first period on a hard check into the boards by Ian Laperriere.

The Red Wings took exception and Aaron Downey started a fight with Laperriere later in the period. The two were involved in another tussle in the third, along with the Avalanche's Cody McLeod, who was assessed four penalties totaling 24 minutes from that incident alone.

The skirmish prompted Avalanche assistant coach Tony Granato to lean from the edge of the bench to yell at Red Wings coaches, conjuring memories of previous altercations involving the teams.

"Yeah, a little bit. . . . Scotty (Bowman), (Marc) Crawford . . . pretty close," Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood said. "The game was fiery after the hit on Nick."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said he didn't think Lidstrom's injury is serious, but he said his star defenseman would "probably end up with a few days off."

Added Babcock: "I didn't like the hit. I thought the hit was high. To me, the league's about protecting a guy's head. It was pretty apparent they saw it one way and we saw it another. I watched the replay a number of times and I didn't like the play. To me, a five-time Norris Trophy winner shouldn't have to be protecting his head."

Laperriere said it was a clean hit but that he expected the Red Wings to retaliate.

"The referee didn't think it was illegal," he said. "I play hard. Hopefully, he's going to be OK. I respect him a lot; that's why you have to play hard against him. I think it was a fair hit.

"I know where Aaron Downey's coming from. I've been on the other side and I respect what he was trying to do. I've been around long enough to know when one of their best players gets hurt, they'll come after you."

Said Downey: "We can't be running the superstars of our game. If you want to have a good, clean hit, go out there and have a good, clean hit. I have no problem with that. But when the elbows are up, when you hit a five-time Norris winner, probably one of the best defensemen to play the game, it's a joke in my mind. Fair justice is fair justice."

There wasn't much fair about this mismatch after the Red Wings took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by ageless defenseman Chris Chelios, who turned 46 last month, and Valtteri Filppula, who scored on a power play with 55.1 seconds remaining.

"We have to play scrappier, we have to play a more puck possession game, more puck control," Avalanche coach Joel Quenne- ville said. "It looked like all areas were having a hard time."

The Red Wings outshot the Avalanche 40-18 for the game, 29-7 in the last two periods, making it easy for Osgood to snap a personal four-game losing streak while collecting his fourth shutout of the season and 47th of his NHL career.

"I got to say it was a long 60 minutes," Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore said.

Henrik Zetterberg put the game out of reach with two second-period goals that came 2:16 apart. Pavel Datsyuk, who had three assists, set up both goals, the second coming on a five-on-three power play.

The Avalanche, which has lost four consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season, went 0-for-3 on power plays and has gone 0-for-18 during the losing streak, which began Feb. 12 with a 2-1 loss to Anaheim.

"We've had three kind of poor performances in a row," forward Andrew Brunette said. "You get yourself in a position where you're down a couple goals, and when you haven't won in a few games you start pushing the envelope, and that's not how we win games. We need to be sharper right off the hop and go from there.

"We got ourselves in a little bit of trouble by not doing the right things. It's important for us to set the tone right from the start."

Red Wings 4, Avalanche 0

Detroit2 2 0 - 4

Colorado0 0 0 - 0

First period - 1, Det, Chelios 2 (Datsyuk, Franzen), 12:03. 2, Det, Filppula 16 (Hudler, Meech), 19:04 (pp). Penalties - Smyth, Col, (slashing), 5:22; Draper, Det (boarding), 12:53; Downey, Det, minor-major-misconduct (fighting, instigator), 15:16; Laperriere, Col, major (fighting), 15:16; McLeod, Col, (holding), 18:11.

Second period - 3, Det, Zetterberg 34 (Datsyuk, Samuelsson), 7:42 (pp). 4, Det, Zetterberg 35 (Datsyuk, Holmstrom), 9:58. Penalties - Guite, Col, (holding), 6:47; Col bench, served by Brunette (abuse of officials), 6:47; Hlinka, Col, (tripping), 16:24.

Third period - None. Penalties - Downey, Det, minor-misconduct (roughing), :35; McLeod, Col, double misconduct-double minor (roughing), :35; Laperriere, Col, misconduct, :35; Lilja, Det (holding stick), 16:05; Draper, Det (roughing), 19:38; Svatos, Col, (roughing), 19:38.

Shots - Det 11-14-15 - 40. Col 11-2-5 - 18. Power plays - Det 2 of 5; Col 0 of 3. Goalies - Det, Osgood 23-7-2 (18 shots-18 saves). Col, Theodore 15-16-2 (40-36). A - 18,007 (18,007). T - 2:23. Referees - Mike Hasenfratz, Mike Leggo. Linesmen - Tim Nowak, Anthony Sericolo.

NUMBERS GAME

3goals by the Avalanche during its four-game losing streak.

TOUGH TRIP

The biggest challenge facing the Avalanche is to get untracked during what looms as a difficult five-game, eight-day trip that begins Wednesday in Anaheim against the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks.

"We've got some real tough games, tough buildings," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We've been playing better on the road, and that's what we have to get back to, back to simplifying the game. That was our mind-set going into (Monday's) game. It didn't happen."

The encouraging news is centers Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny will be on the trip and are expected to play during it at some point.

LIDSTROM INJURED

While three of the five Avalanche players on injured reserve are forwards, the Red Wings are hurting behind the blue line.

They already were missing two defensemen, Niklas Kronwall and Brian Rafalski, when captain Nicklas Lidstrom left the game at 6:10 of the first period with a knee injury. Lidstrom was hurt on a check by Ian Laperriere.

Kronwall has missed 10 games with a clavicle injury and Rafalski three games with a groin injury. The Red Wings also have been without goalie Dominik Hasek, who has missed four games with a hip flexor.

HE SAID IT

"They had a lot of opportunities but didn't shoot it for one reason or another."

Chris Osgood, Red Wings goalie, who faced seven shots during the last two periods.

Rick Sadowski

Comments

  • February 18, 2008

    9:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Common_Sense writes:

    Leave it to Coach Q and Crew to help get the Red Wings back on track. Amazing. I remember when this was actually a rivalry.

  • February 19, 2008

    5:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    coloradoWINGSFAN writes:

    After the high forearm to the head Lidstrom collapsed like he was sucker-punched. Sounds to me the injured knee explaination is PR spin for a major concussion. Lapperiere is a goon, and a nobody on a middling team that has to use these kind of tactics to reach the play-offs.

  • February 19, 2008

    6:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    VVVV writes:

    Go back to Detroit and learn some syntax. And while you are there look up some of the players Detroit has had on their team. Brendan Shanahan was not goon enough for Detroit, they had to go out and pick up the biggest goon in hockey history, Todd Bertuzzi. You do realize Steve Moore will never play again? I think a couple of days without Lidstrom pales in comparison.

  • February 19, 2008

    12:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Lanchelover writes:

    Another inept performance from the heartless (except #14) Avalanche. There appears to be absolutely no toughness, grit, or determination on this team. There were times that the Avs had the Wings outnumbered against the boards, and the Wing would still come out with the puck. Down by 4 goals in the second period and you boys can muster only 7 shots...in two periods. How about a great big AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHH! coach Q must GO!

    Wing fan. Ian's hit looked clean to everybody that watched it except for Wings' fans. It sucks that a star was hurt, but that is pretty clean hockey, and in no way a cheap shot.

    A few quick stats for those of us watching our team drop to the abyss: Keep in mind that they have played 60 games. They have 30 wins, 25 losses, and 5 OTL

    The avs have scored 3 or more goals 32 times. They have won 27 of those, and lost 5.
    They have lost 7 times when scoring only 2 goals.
    They have lost 18 times scoring 1 or fewer goals.

    It is pretty clear where the achilles tendon of this team lies...
    OFFENSE (and a coach to make them tough-nosed, grinders required to push for the Cup). Jose and Peter, your shoulders must hurt from attempting to keep this team in every game.

    The GM meetings better produce something significant for the Avs. A player with a huge heart, and a huge desire to do whatever it takes to win, would be a beautiful addition to this floundering bunch.

    Still love the Avs, but am growing frustrated.

  • February 19, 2008

    1:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MikeAVS writes:

    Don't get to see many AVs games here in N.C. but they looked awful last night. IMO I saw:
    not much energy or effort, horrible passing skills, barely any shooting, not able to skate thru neutral zone, porous defense. I sure hope another AVs team shows up for the remainder of the season, this team looked like a bunch of minor leaguers. Come on boys, play hard, pass crisp, take some shots, play defense!! I still despise the Red Wings, so let's get it going Avs, please!