Regular Season Game 25: In Which We Play Two Periods Like Rocky Mountain Oysters

1st Period


Colorado 0 Detroit 1; 15:08- PPG Franzen (12) from Datsyuk (16) & Lidstrom (13)

There are a number of places I could start breaking down the play, but I think one screenshot captures the goal. Datsyuk starts the play by shooting from the faceoff circle, but it's blocked. He picks up the loose puck and carries past the defender towards the front of the net. From here, he somehow threads a pass through two of Colorado's four defenders (Detroit's on the powerplay) to Franzen in the opposite faceoff circle. Franzen one-times it and Varlamov has no shot at stopping this one.

2nd Period


Colorado 1 Detroit 1; 00:26- O'Reilly from Landeskog

Bertuzzi passes along the boards to Ian White behind the net. White mishandles the puck and is stripped of it by Landeskog

Landeskog fires a pass through the crease to a streaking O'Reilly. This goal is related to the first goal, but they're more like stepcousins than biological siblings. They both have passes through the streak to a streaking forward that result in a goal, but Datsyuk's is more impressive. I don't think that's the hometown bias talking, either.

Colorado 2 Detroit 1; 2:11- Stastny from Duchene

I'm not going to be the first person to throw Conklin on the scrap heap, but this goal isn't doing anything to help his case. Detroit has their clearing attempt blocked, and Duchene carries in. He passes cross-ice for Stastny, who fires a one timer that (luckily) misses. Conklin should be farther to his left, as I've attempted to illustrate above with the tic-mark-H-shaped-line thingy above.

Stastny's shot rolls around the boards to Duchene in the corner. Duchene throws the puck in front and it somehow gets through traffic. Lidstrom can't clear it, and Stastny taps it in. I don't blame Lids for this. Instead, I think this goal created a new rule. TOG rule #1: if your goaltender is standing up and looking behind himself while the play is still going on, something has gone terribly wrong. In this screencap, our goaltender is standing up and looking behind himself while the play is still going on. Something went terribly wrong.

3rd Period


Colorado 2 Detroit 2; 5:08- Cleary (5) from Zetterberg (10) & Bertuzzi (6)

Zetterberg has the puck upon offensive zone entry. Cleary and Bertuzzi both head for the net.

Z could try and force something here, but he instead waits for Cleary to get in front and screen by skating into the faceoff circle.

Cleary has Varlamov screened completely, and he's able to tip Zetterberg's backhand past the netminder to tie the game.

Colorado 3 Detroit 2; 9:22- SHG Galiardi from Landeskog

Miller can't settle the breakout pass in the neutral zone. The puck is lose and the Avalanche pick up the turnover. Cue the trombones.

Conklin is really far to his right and Kronwall's coverage is soft. This allows Colorado an easy give-and-go, with Galiardi one-timing the pass from Landeskog. Overall, this was basically just a disaster. Nothing more, nothing less.

Colorado 4 Detroit 2; 19:26- EN O'Reilly from McClement & Winnik

That is all.