Wings Get Their Answer in 5–0 Drubbing by Avalanche
This one was supposed to be a measuring stick.
A Saturday matinee at Little Caesars Arena.
The best team in the NHL in town.
One last home game before the Olympic break. I was looking forward to seeing how the Wings would respond after losing to the Capitals in an OT shootout 2 days prior.
The Detroit Red Wings didn’t just get an answer — they got a reminder of the level required to beat the league’s elite.
The Colorado Avalanche controlled the game early and never let it drift, handing Detroit a 5–0 loss that closed a winless homestand and raised real questions heading into a difficult stretch of the schedule.
Sometimes there isn’t much to overanalyze.
Colorado was sharper. Detroit couldn’t finish. End of story.
Colorado Took Control Early — and Kept It There
The Avalanche didn’t overwhelm Detroit with volume — they overwhelmed them with precision.
Colorado scored twice in the first period, added two more in the second, and played from in front the rest of the afternoon. Detroit actually finished with more shots (28–21) and more hits (16–12), but very little of that pressure translated into real danger.
When the Avalanche got clean looks, they buried them.
When the Wings did, they didn’t.
That gap decided the game.
A Rough Afternoon in Net — and the Right Call
It was a difficult outing for John Gibson, who allowed four goals on 17 shots through two periods. While defensive breakdowns played a role, this wasn’t the kind of game where leaving him out there served much purpose.
Head coach Todd McLellan made the correct decision, turning to Cam Talbot for the third period. Talbot stopped 3 of 4, but by then the result was long decided.
This was about damage control — not comeback hope.
No Answers for Blackwood
At the other end, Mackenzie Blackwood was flawless.
Detroit put pucks on net but struggled to generate second chances or traffic. Too much of the offense stayed on the perimeter, and Blackwood saw nearly everything cleanly. The shutout marked the fourth time this season the Wings have been blanked.
Against teams like Colorado, shots alone don’t matter.
Shot quality does.
MacKinnon Did What Superstars Do
If there was one clear separator, it was Nathan MacKinnon.
MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist, becoming the NHL’s first 40-goal scorer this season. Every shift he dictated pace, and when Colorado needed to put the game away, he did exactly that.
That’s what elite teams — and elite players — look like.
🧊 STAT CAPSULE
Final: Avalanche 5, Red Wings 0
Shots: DET 28 | COL 21
Hits: DET 16 | COL 12
Faceoffs: DET 54.2% | COL 45.8%
Game Drivers
- Nathan MacKinnon: 2 G, 1 A
- Mackenzie Blackwood: 28 saves, shutout
- Brent Burns: 1 G
Goaltending
- John Gibson: 13 saves on 17 shots
- Cam Talbot: 3 saves on 4 shots
Special Teams
- Power Play: 0-for-2 (both teams)
What This Loss Really Means
This wasn’t about effort.
It wasn’t about discipline.
It was about execution against a top-tier opponent.
Detroit leaves the homestand at 32–18–6, still firmly in the playoff picture — but now staring down a challenging reality before the Olympic break.
The Wings head on the road to Colorado and Utah, and neither matchup is going to be forgiving. A loss in both would mean entering the break on a five-game losing streak, followed by a 22-day layoff before resuming play.
And when they return, the schedule doesn’t ease up — 13 of their final 24 games come away from home.
That’s not panic territory.
But it is pressure territory.
🤔Food for Thought
The Olympic break is coming. The reset is coming.
The question now is what version of the Red Wings shows up when the grind resumes — because games like this one make it clear there’s still another gear they’ll need to find.
Was this just a bad matchup — or a reminder of how much margin for error disappears against the NHL’s elite? Drop a comment below or join the conversation in the Red Wings Wheelhouse — where fans break down every game, every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
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