OLD RIVALRY WIN

Avs drop Red Wings 3-1

Matt Duchene got the Avalanche jumpstarted with his first goal in 12 games and Colorado went on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center.

Duchene pulled Colorado into a 1-1 tie at 12:08 of the second period with his elusive but still team-leading 17th goal of the season, and it was hard to tell what showed more on his face, relief or satisfaction.

“That’s the worst slump I’ve ever been in in my life,” Duchene said. “It was just insane, so it was nice to pick that one up tonight. I think everybody could tell by my reaction how relieved I was. I don’t know if I’ve ever scored a goal that felt better than that one.”

In the third period, Avalanche rookie forward J.T. Compher, who a year ago was captain of the University of Michigan Wolverines, put Colorado up 2-1 with his first NHL goal from the slot at 3:49. Then Carl Soderberg beat Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard to make it 3-1 at 5:44, giving the Swedish center his first goal since Feb. 4.

The Avalanche went on to the victory that made it 20-46-3 for the season, snapped Colorado’s latest losing streak at two games and also gave it three wins in its last five.

The transplants-in-the-seats phenomenon is an old one in Denver pro sports, and even in the Avalanche-Red Wings rivalry. But the major change is that Avalanche fans’ apathy or disillusionment seems to have made it easier for Red Wings partisans to obtain tickets — even in prime season-ticket areas — and take in what became their favorite team’s single appearance in Denver each season after the Red Wings’ 2013 move to the Eastern Conference.

The ratio of red-clad fans in the Denver arena Wednesday was unprecedented and stunning. That was the case despite the fact that the Red Wings aren’t having anything close to a banner season, either, and their 25-season playoff streak is about to come to an end.