Detroit 3, Colorado 1

DENVER, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The Detroit Red Wings, picking up right where they left off in the first half,used a total team effort Monday night to get the unofficial second half of the season off on the right foot with a 3-1 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche.

Darren McCarty brawled and scored, Kirk Maltby had a shorthanded tally and Dominik Hasek made 23 saves, including a pair of critical third-period stops, as Detroit dominated its archrival.

Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom had an empty-net tally for the Red Wings, who extended their lead over Colorado in the Western Conference to 15 points.

Scott Parker had the lone goal for Colorado, which lost for just the fifth time in 20 home games (12-5-2-1).