Denver: J.T. Compher scored his first NHL goal, Calvin Pickard stopped 27 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Matt Duchene scored his first goal in 12 games and Carl Soderberg added his first in 18 games as the NHL-worst Avalanche won at home for the third time in four tries. They are 11-22-2 at the Pepsi Center this season.
Andreas Athanasiou scored for the Red Wings, who, like their once-hated rival, are well out of the play-off hunt. Jimmy Howard made 26 saves in his second start since returning from a knee injury that had kept him out since December 20.
The Avalanche were shut out for the 12th time this season in a 1-0 loss to Arizona on Monday, tying a franchise record set in 2008-09.
Duchene flicked a wrist shot high and past Howard to tie the game midway through the second period. The 26-year-old centre was one of the Avalanche players linked to trade speculation, but he stayed put at the deadline. He raised his arms and took a sigh of relief as he circled around the net following his first goal since February 19.
Then, with 3:49 gone in the third, Compher sent a wrister over Howard’s shoulder to put the Avalanche in front 2-1. Soderberg extended the lead 1:55 later with his sixth goal of the season.
Detroit scored 5:09 into the first on a breakaway by Athanasiou.
Justin Abdelkader grabbed the puck along the boards near his own net and sent a nifty backhand pass to Athanasiou, who took it in stride as he sped down the ice. Athanasiou was untouched all the way and deked Pickard to the right, beating the goaltender stick side for his 16th of the season.
