Nichushkin and Georgiev led the Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the struggling Red Wings

DETROIT (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin scored his third goal in two games, Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the struggling Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Saturday night.

Cale Makar scored a power play goal for Colorado. Makar leads all NHL defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 28 games.

Lucas Raymond scored his eighth goal in the last nine games for Detroit, which has lost five straight – all by a single goal. Ville Husso made 23 saves.

Takeaways

Avalanche: It was a great return from Georgiev, the team’s best goalkeeper. He was withdrawn from his previous start in Buffalo on Tuesday after giving up four goals in less than 12 minutes.

Red Wings: The offense continues to come up empty, even against some of the league’s weaker defensive teams. The Avalanche had allowed 27 goals while losing four of their last six games.

Key moment

The Avalanche only had one power play, but Makar used it well. At the start of the second period, he hit a shot from the point that beat a shielded Husso. As a result, the offensively challenged Red Wings were two goals behind and Colorado’s lead was maintained.

Key statistics

Makar, who scored his first career hat trick against Detroit in March, has 17 points in eight career games against the Red Wings.

Next

The Avalanche visit New Jersey on Sunday, while the Red Wings play in Buffalo on Monday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl