It has felt like feast or famine lately for the Colorado Avalanche, but this was a first.

The Detroit Red Wings, two days after getting run out of their building by this Avalanche team, came to Ball Arena on Monday night and shut down the league’s top offense in a 2-0 victory.

“We just didn’t make as many plays, I think, as normal,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It didn’t look we had our full energy tonight, so it’s hard to create against a team like … I give Detroit a lot of credit for that. They checked really well, especially in the ‘D’ zone.”

It is the first time all season the Avs have been shut out. Colorado is now 5-7-2 since a Jan. 3 win at Carolina, with just one game remaining before a long break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Marco Kasper put the Red Wings in front on the first shift of the game. Devon Toews, in his first game back after missing 13 because of an upper-body injury, crept in from the left point to try to regain possession for the Avs.

Dylan Larkin was able to get the puck past Toews to Lucas Raymond, which ignited a 2-on-1. Kasper finished it with an easy tap-in after a perfect pass from Raymond just 33 seconds into the game.

“I don’t know, I’ll have to go watch it,” Toews said. “I make the play that I feel is right, and maybe it was wrong. Something I’ve got to look at and move on from at the end of the day.”

Raymond put the puck into the empty net with 30.7 seconds left to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. Valeri Nichushkin chopped his stick in half on the Colorado net in frustration and was sent to the locker room by the officials.

Colorado had two power plays in this game, but one of them included twice as many shot attempts (four) for the visitors as the Avs produced (two). It was a step back after the Avs had two opportunities in Detroit that created lots of chances and looked the way a top power play is supposed to.

The Avs are ranked 31st in the league with the extra man at 15.3 percent.

“I think we’ve been through that multiple times throughout the course of the season, but I would say the last couple games has been really focused and determined at trying to do the right things,” Bednar said when asked if the power-play struggles have become a mental issue. “I’m sure there’s frustration when the power play ends, but it seems like at the start of the power play, they’re focused and ready to go and trying to make a difference.

“Just has to continue. Have to stick with it.”

These two teams met on Saturday afternoon in Detroit, and it was one of Colorado’s best games of January. The Avs routed the Red Wings, 5-0, behind two goals and three points from Nathan MacKinnon and 28 saves for Mackenzie Blackwood.

The Avs came into the game 14-0-1 in their past 15 contests against the Red Wings since a 5-1 loss in Detroit on March 18, 2017. Just in the past nine contests — which dates back to Dec. 10, 2021 — Colorado was 8-0-1 and had outscored Detroit 43-16.

Blackwood stopped the final 23 shots he faced Monday night. He just didn’t get any support.

“I think we just didn’t execute the way we wanted to,” Toews said. “I think our intentions were correct, and we were working for it. I just don’t think we executed well enough to generate the opportunities that we are used to.”

FOOTNOTES: Avs captain Gabe Landeskog (upper body) and top right wing Martin Necas (lower body) did not play in this game. Bednar said Monday morning that he’s hopeful Necas will be able to play Wednesday, which is the final game before the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Bednar said it’s unlikely that Landeskog will play against San Jose, but both players should be fine to play in the Olympic tournament, which begins Feb. 11 in Milan.

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