DETROIT, Michigan -- Johan Franzen scored his first playoff hat trick on Saturday, continuing his hot streak that started in March and leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game Two of their Western Conference Semifinal matchup.
Franzen scored the game's first goals - both on the power play - to get the Red Wings rolling.
At 4:22 of the first period, Franzen tipped a hard shot by Mikael Samuelsson past Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore.
Just 4:04 into the second period, he added another one, coming out from behind the net with the puck to roof a backhander over Theodore.
Valtteri Filppula made it a three-goal lead only 1:38 later slipping a backhander past Theodore after a Dallas Drake shot bounced off the back boards.
With 9:49 left in the period, Henrik Zetterberg rifled a shot into the net while on a two-on-one with Tomas Holmstrom, leading to Theodore's early exit for the second game in a row.
Cody McCormick tried to give the Avalanche life, challenging Darren McCarty to a fight and earning the takedown, but Colorado couldn't bounce back and couldn't stay calm, taking five undisciplined penalties throughout the second half of the period.
Ian Laperriere got the Avalanche on the board at 2:38 of the third but it would be their only goal.
Franzen completed his hat trick at 8:47 of the closing frame, scoring on a two-on-one with Zetterberg while the Red Wings were shorthanded.
Zetterberg carried the puck into the Colorado zone down the left wing. He faked around Joe Sakic and put a shot into goalie Peter Budaj. Franzen followed up with a rebound chance and the puck popped into the air, where he smacked it past Budaj for the game's final goal.
Theodore stopped 16 of 20 shots before being replaced by Budaj, who made 19 stops on the same number of chances. Detroit netminder Chris Osgood also stopped 19 of 20 shots.
Game Three of the series will be Tuesday in Denver.
Notes: The last Red Wing to score a playoff hat trick was Darren McCarty, who scored three times in Game One of Detroit's 2002 series with Colorado... Before the game, Colorado's Cody McLeod scooped up an octopus from the ice - in direct violation of the new NHL rule - and taunted the Red Wings bench with it.
Jose Theodore is expected to start, Peter Forsberg is expected to be out, and Wojtek Wolski will likely miss the rest of the series for Colorado. That last one is pretty certain but I say "expected" on the first two because Budaj played will on Thursday so Quenneville has to at least think about keeping him in today and because if Forsberg was half the competitor everyone claims he is he'd take a shot like Holmstrom did and get on this ice. Gotta figure that Forsberg at 50% is better than Cody McCormick.
Forsberg is overrated, in the past everybody always talked about how tough he was. If I were him I would be doing everything I could to be on the ice for this matchup. Looks like the off time turned him into a crybaby! 
Side note: What happened to the "Holy crap" calls? Are they gone for good?
XD Hahahahaha, speaking of Peter Forsberg, has anyone seen the Photoshop War going on on letsgowings.com and an Avalanche fanboard? XD It's hilarious.
Mod Edit: Links Removed
Both have some good ones, excellent ones, and some not so funny ones I was looking at them last night and they put me in a good mood for today's game. XD
Mod Note: We don't reference LGW here. Matt accused me of stealing video from him in the past and I don't take kindly to that.
Forsberg is overrated, in the past everybody always talked about how tough he was. If I were him I would be doing everything I could to be on the ice for this matchup. Looks like the off time turned him into a crybaby!
Peter Forsberg, a/k/a Mr. Glass.
Oops >.> Sorry about that. D: That sucks that people do that. I'll remember next time.
XD But I saw the Mr. Glass one x] Funny.
Forsberg is in. Damn.
Edit: Or maybe just taking the pregame skate.
Okay, according to NHL.com, Forsberg is out. NBC hasn't said anything yet.
Edit: NBC confirms.
Scott Hannan is also out for Colorado. They're hurting.
So MacLeod can pick up the octopus but Al Sobotka can't? f*ck you, Bettman. MacLeod better get fined $10K.
So MacLeod can pick up the octopus but Al Sobotka can't? f*ck you, Bettman. MacLeod better get fined $10K.
I didn't like how it looked like he tried to throw it back at the fans =/ That just seemed rude and spiteful.
I hate NBC games ._. I think I heard 'Gary Hudler' and then a few later I KNOW I heard 'Hoooodler'. The 'O's not exaggerated.
Wow, Franzen's still a beast.
J.M.F Franzen with the power play goal!
Holy crap, the Wings were all over the place on that shift. The Avs are giving them room to move again.
2 Hits after the whistle--no call.
Shame.
Even NBC announcers are suprised. That says something.
I'm still p*ssed about MacLeod and the octopus.
I hope they don't do that crappy remake with penalties thing. ): But, seeing how Foote wanted a penalty...goodness knows.
I can tell you--if I was a fan, and got hit by an octopus a player threw at me, I'd be going to court...especially for $200 playoff tickets.
Mcleod would be playing for free for half a season by the time i was done with him.
@$$hole.
I'm really p*ssed off and I've just been travelling for five hours and haven't had much sleep, but good to see the Wings 1-0 up. Looks like a tight game.
You can't stop Franzilla!
Franzen is a beast!
Way to go Fil! Now we know how Nashville was feeling with those quick goals.
You can't stop Franzilla!
Hahaha, cute nickname. I think Franzen is definitely the star player of the series.
And yay, Dr. Fil! <\33
Bloody hell!
Zata! And if the Avs are smart, Budaj comes in now.
Mac shouldn't have fought there. No need.
I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
A nice fight, I would say.
Wow. This is...amazing.
This could get humiliating. Humiliation's good.
Can't believe the Wings couldn't score on all that PP time. Could be bad.
This is just too easy!
I really can't believe that the next two wins will be as easy.
It's kind of making me nervous...are we going to see a series like the Calgary series last season?
Damn. Didn't want to give up the early goal.
Make sure they don't gain more momentum!
Holy sh*t. HOLY sh*t! FRANZEN!
FRANZEN! And the hats are on the ice. Franzen is on fire!
That goal is like it wasn't even fair. It's going on the site later. Shorthanded, two-on-one, out of mid-air. What else could you add to that?!
Big, big win. Full game dominance, hold serve at home, got to both Colorado goalies.
Can't ask for much more.
Just carry this on in Denver and the Wings are laughing.
Franzen was brilliant! Madly, superbly brilliant!
al;ksjd;fjas;ldjfl;akjsd Stupid NBC commentators. There they go praising Peter Forsberg...but saying the Wings finished badly? D: And STILL saying the Avalanche are the better choices for the series, pssh. =/ I could totally be eating my words later, but I so doubt it.
This is why it's so huge to win the first two. Just one win in Denver and they're in control of the series.
Yeah, the NBC guys are saying that Forsberg could be the difference.
Too bad he's not a defenseman. Yeah, he'd make it harder for the Wings to shut down the Avs, but it doesn't change the fact that the Avs have been unable to shut down the Wings.
The question that is bigger than Forsberg is who is going to get the start in net.
Do they stick with Theodore or go with Budaj?
The clowns at NBC seem to think that Theodore stays in.
A this point I don't think it matters, the Wings are on fire and given our past performance we should have no issues picking up a game in Colorado
Do they stick with Theodore or go with Budaj?
The clowns at NBC seem to think that Theodore stays in.
That's because Quenneville basically said as much. He's an idiot if he doesn't go with Budaj.
That's because Quenneville basically said as much. He's an idiot if he doesn't go with Budaj.
But why complain if the Wings already have Theodore beat?
was @ game 2, what a BLAST!!!! some guy was wearin a nordiques jersey and holding up a cardboard cutout of the logo and showing it to everyone. Us Wings fans were pretty hostile to him. After the 4th goal, the guy literally disappeared. After like a half hour he came back with about 5 bottles of beer all in hand HAHah! Such a great experience @ the joe. 4-0 when i go the game, although 1 loss was in preseason vs the pens about 10 years ago.
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