The Red Wings are buried under Avalanche pressure

DETROIT // Colorado Avalanche came crashing down on the Detroit Red Wings to snap the Stanley Cup winner's five game unbeaten run with a 3-2 victory. Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third period and with the Red Wings applying pressure, Jordan Leopold notched the game decider with a penalty shot. Andrew Raycroft made 34 saves for the Avalanche "[Detroit] have some skill and work as hard as anyone, they made us work that's for sure," said Raycroft, after making only his fifth start of the season.

The Red Wings found themselves in an early hole when Wojtek Wolski scored just 67 seconds after the opening face-off and Paul Stastny added a power-play tally three minutes later to put the visitors in front 2-0. Detroit finally broke through midway in the second, Tomas Holmstrom jabbing home a loose puck. But the Avalanche restored their two-goal cushion early in the third with Leopold's penalty and then weathered a late rally by the Wings, where Marion Hossa beat Raycroft with quick shot to make it a one-goal game with seven minutes to play.

* Reuters