Makar helps Avalanche defeat Red Wings

DETROIT -- Cale Makar ended an eight-game goal drought, and the Colorado Avalanche handed the Detroit Red Wings their fifth straight loss, 2-1 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

Valeri Nichushkin also scored, and Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves for the Avalanche (15-13-0), who are 12-0-1 in their past 13 games against the Red Wings. Colorado had lost three of four overall.

“[Georgiev] was outstanding,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “That was a big bounce-back game for him and also for our team.”

The Red Wings had eight of their nine third-period shots after pulling goalie Ville Husso with 2:36 to play. At one point, Georgiev made five saves in 11 seconds, all from inside 20 feet.

“At that point, I’m just trying to make one and get ready for the next one,” he said. “We knew there was a push coming after they got the goalie out, so I was just trying to find the puck and get something on it.”

Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings (10-13-4), who are 0-3-2 during their skid. Husso made 23 saves.

“Obviously, we are very frustrated once again,” Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider said. “We did a lot of good things, but not for a span of 60 minutes, and that costs you against a very good team.

“No one is happy in the locker room. Why should we [be]? We’re losing games that are winnable.”

The five straight losses for the Red Wings have been by one goal. They have scored four times in the past three games.

“You can all save yourself some time and just paste up the same write-up you’ve had the last five games,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “We had a stretch last year where we were bad. We earned that losing streak. This feels a little different, but the bottom line is we’ve got to do more to flip these games.”

Nichushkin gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 10:48 of the first period. Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot blocked his first shot, but Nichushkin regained the puck and beat Husso from the slot.

Makar made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 2:44 of the second period, exchanging passes with Nathan MacKinnon before moving into the high slot to put a wrist shot past Husso.

“It was definitely a change of pace to get ahead in the first period and play with some room,” Makar said. “[Nichushkin] gave me a great screen in front -- that goal doesn’t happen without him.”

Raymond pulled the Red Wings within 2-1 at 18:13 with his 10th goal of the season. Dylan Larkin got the puck in the right corner and circled into the high shot before taking a wrist shot that Raymond tipped past Georgiev.

“We’re doing some quality things, but we have to do a little more offensively,” Lalonde said. “I don’t know if it is confidence or a little frustration that it isn’t going our way.”

NOTES: Avalanche forward Ross Colton, playing for the first time since breaking his foot on Oct. 28, was plus-1 with three shots on goal in 13:16. He missed 17 games. … Colorado defenseman Keaton Middleton had two shots on goal and played 9:35 in his first NHL game since April 12, 2021. … Husso, starting because Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot each is out with a lower-body injury, is 0-4-2 with a 3.39 goals-against average and .884 save percentage in six games (five starts) this season. Sebastian Cossa, Husso’s current backup, has not played an NHL game.