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Henrik Zetterberg scored two second period goals to help the Red Wings to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche to complete a regular season series sweep of Detroit's former rival. The news, however, was tempered by the loss of defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom to a "minor knee injury" in the first period following a hit by Ian Laperriere. Team officials said Lidstrom was held out of the game as a precaution.
Goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 18 shots for the shutout. It was the third time this season the Red Wings have shutout the Avalanche.Detroit jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with their first even-strength tally in four games when a point shot by Chris Chelios (!) found the back of the net following a perfect screen in front of the net by Johan Franzen. Valtteri Filppula made it 2-0 with a rebound goal with 56 seconds remaining in the period on a Detroit power play.
Zetterberg made it 3-0 on a 5-on-3 advantage and finished off a 3-on-1 break with Pavel Datsyuk with his 35th goal of the season to make it 4-0.
Tempers flared again at the start of the third period as Aaron Downey -- who pummelled Laperriere to the ice shortly after Lidstrom was hit in the first period -- nailed him again in front of the Colorado bench and sent him crashing to the ice. The fisticuffs spread to the bench with head coach Mike Babcock and Colorado assistant coach Tony Granato shouting at eachother.
The Wings dominated play on the night and had a 40-18 shot advantage that helped end the club's longest losing streak (six games) since 1991. Detroit finished 2 for 6 on the power play.
Colorado netminder Jose Theodore stopped 36 of 40 for the Avalanche.
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