Logan O'Connor scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the streaking Colorado Avalanche held on for a 2-1 victory over the host Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
The Avalanche have won seven straight and a franchise-record nine in a row on the road. They trail St. Louis by just a point in the Central Division standings.
Michael Hutchinson made 17 saves for Colorado, while Vladislav Namestnikov scored the team's other goal.
The Avs used the same formula to continue their hot streaks, winning a defensive struggle. They haven't scored more than three goals during the past seven games, and their past six triumphs have come by one goal.
Anthony Mantha scored the only goal for the Red Wings, who are winless in their past six games (0-5-1). Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves.
Both teams were ineffective on the power play, each going 0 for 4. The Wings were the more physical team, recording 32 hits to the Avs' 13, but Colorado aided Hutchinson by blocking 18 shots.
The Avs had 10 more shots on goal than the Wings in the opening period, but it ended 1-1.
Mantha scored the game's first goal, banging in a rebound of a Dylan Larkin shot. Alex Biega also collected an assist on Mantha's 15th goal this season.
Namestnikov tied it with his 14th goal at 12:50. Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin had the assists. Namestnikov tapped in a rebound after Graves ripped a shot from the left circle.
Gabriel Landeskog set up the lone goal of the second period. He fed the puck from his own blue line to the other blue line despite taking a big hit from Robby Fabbri. O'Connor got behind the defense and beat Bernier for his second career goal. Nathan MacKinnon was credited with the second assist.
Hutchinson made a pad save against Mantha on a breakaway in the closing seconds of the period.
The Wings pressured the Colorado net for a good portion of the final period but couldn't break through.
--Field Level Media
Colorado | Detroit | |
Vladislav Namestnikov 1 | Points | Anthony Mantha 1 |
Vladislav Namestnikov 1 | Goals | Anthony Mantha 1 |
Ryan Graves 1 | Assists | Alex Biega 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Michael Hutchinson .944 | Save Percentage | Jonathan Bernier .926 |
Michael Hutchinson 17 | Saves | Jonathan Bernier 25 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Colorado | 27 | 2 | 0-4 | 4-4 | 8 | 25 |
Detroit | 18 | 1 | 0-4 | 4-4 | 8 | 33 |