Red Wings Snap Skid in Statement Win Over Avalanche
DENVER - The Red Wings needed a response, and they delivered one in a place where few teams have found success this season: Ball Arena. With a 2-0 shutout victory over the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, Detroit not only snapped a three-game winless streak but also exorcised some long-standing demons in Denver.
It started fast and ended with authority.
Just 33 seconds into the game, Marco Kasper finished off a textbook two-on-one rush, set up perfectly by Lucas Raymond. It was a moment of opportunism born from a defensive miscue by Colorado’s Devon Toews, whose aggressive pinch at the blue line backfired.
Raymond collected the puck and took off, drawing the defense before sliding a clean feed to Kasper, who tapped it in with ease past a committed Mackenzie Blackwood. That early strike set the tone.
From there, the Red Wings leaned on structure, grit, and a rock-solid performance in net from John Gibson. The veteran goaltender turned away all 22 shots he faced, earning his third shutout of the season and anchoring a defensive effort that frustrated one of the league’s most potent offenses.
This wasn’t just another win-it was a breakthrough. The Red Wings hadn’t won in Denver since 2016, and they hadn’t beaten the Avalanche in regulation in their last 16 meetings. That’s a lot of baggage to unload in one night, but Detroit did it with poise and purpose.
The victory improved the Wings to 33-18-6 on the season, good for 72 points and just two behind the idle Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings. It also marked just the third time all season that Colorado (36-9-9, 81 points) has lost in regulation at home, where they’ve been a juggernaut (20-3-4).
There weren’t many whistles in this one. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play, and the game was largely decided at even strength-where the Wings played arguably their most complete road game of the season.
Raymond, who’s been stepping up his game as of late, capped things off with an empty-netter in the final 30 seconds to seal the win. That gave him a two-point night and continued a strong stretch of play. Kasper, meanwhile, now has six goals on the season and seven points over his last nine games-a promising trend for the young forward.
This win doesn’t just show up in the standings-it sends a message. Beating the best team in the league, in their building, while ending multiple losing streaks? That’s the kind of momentum-changer that can carry weight heading into the Olympic break.
Detroit wraps up its two-game road trip Wednesday night in Utah, their final contest before the league pauses for the Winter Games. If Monday night is any indication, the Wings are heading into the break with their confidence restored-and their eyes firmly set on the top of the division.