Kane & DeBrincat go cold, special teams disappoint, and more: 3 reasons why Detroit Red Wings lost 2-1 to Colorado Avalanche

The Detroit Red Wings dropped a tight 2-1 game to the Colorado Avalanche at the Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night. The Red Wings were unable to cap off the comeback, as Cale Makar’s goal stood as the game-winner.

The loss extended the Red Wings’ losing streak to five, further sinking them to the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings. Meanwhile, Valeri Nichushkin notched up his sixth goal of the year for the Avalanche, while Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings.

So, let’s take a closer look at the three key reasons why the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night:

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Three reasons why Detroit Red Wings lost to Colorado Avalanche

#3 The Detroit Red Wings couldn’t solve Alexandar Georgiev

The Red Wings couldn't get past Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev, who played a great game, stopping 29 shots in the win.

In particular, Georgiev robbed Michael Rasmussen with a brilliant toe save with a little over two minutes left in the third. The huge save preserved the Avalanche’s lead.

The save eventually turned out to be the difference-maker late in the game as the Red Wings were unable to get the equalizer in the dying seconds.

#2 Special teams failed

Saturday night’s game featured just two penalties per team. The Colorado Avalanche got on power play opportunity, scoring on their only chance, while the Wings got one chance with the man advantage, failing to score on it.

In hindsight, with the unusually low number of penalties, the Detroit Red Wings could have turned the game around by scoring on their only chance and stopping the Avalanche on theirs.

Instead, the Red Wings failed to capitalize on their chance, while allowing the Avalanche to make the most of theirs.

#1 The offense, especially Kane and DeBrincat, failed to respond

The Red Wings’ offense failed to respond. Lucas Raymond got the Wings’ lone goal, with Dylan Larkin registering an assist, but Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Mortiz Seider endured a quiet night.

Specifically, Alex DeBrincat was rather unlucky, as he registered nine shots on goal but couldn't find the back of the net. Kane, meanwhile, didn't register a shot with Seider getting two.

The Red Wings will need to get more scoring from their top players to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They will get a chance to regroup as they look to snap their five-game skid against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.