DENVER — The Detroit Red Wings had to scramble to fill their lineup as they faced one of the elite teams in the NHL.
Their attempt to finish a challenging trip with a celebration wasn't to be; though they scored first Tuesday at Ball Arena, the Colorado Avalanche were simply too fast, too skilled and too good. The Wings were bounced, 5-2.
That left the Wings (33-32-6) with two points from the three-game trip, their only success coming the previous night at Utah Hockey Club. The Wings have lost 10 of their last 13 games, and have just 11 games left to climb over four teams into the playoff picture.