Maybe the Avalanche might want to cover Johan Franzen. Well, at least next time out for Game Three back home in Colorado Tuesday, it could be on Joel Queeneville’s top agenda along with finding a way to slow down the Red Wings, who absolutely dominated in all facets getting Franzen’s first career playoff hat trick to Avalanche the West’s sixth seed 5-1 at Joe Louis Arena this afternoon.

If the Avs were close to rallying from three down in a tough 4-3 Game One defeat, they weren’t in the same league as the top seeded Wings today. Detroit owned the ice from start to finish scoring the first four on Jose Theodore, who once again was replaced by backup Peter Budaj. That will be another decision Queeneville will have to make when the series shifts to the thin air.

Game One star Franzen continued his torrid play notching Detroit’s first two on the power play on a redirection and a wraparound. Following a Valtteri Filppula tally, leading finisher Henrik Zetterberg beat Theodore on a breakaway to end the Colorado starter’s day.

The Wings outshot the Avs 32-10 in the first two periods including a whopping 22-6 margin in the middle stanza where Budaj relieved Theodore. Once again, he played well stopping 19 of 20 shots overall. Figure him to get the nod for Game Three despite what NBC analyst Ed Olczyk said. In the playoffs, there’s no margin for error. Sometimes, you have to play the hot hand. Budaj has looked much sharper than Theodore.

Following an Ian Laperriere tally which broke Chris Osgood’s shutout, Franzen completed the hat trick on a remarkable double deflection backhanding the puck in mid air past Budaj for a shorthanded goal and club-leading seventh of this postseason. In fact, the much overlooked secondary scorer has been anything but getting 22 in the last 24 dating back to the regular season. With five in two games, he must be contained or this series will be over quickly.

The Avs were way too undisciplined taking silly penalties. Once more, Peter Forsberg sat out due to his groin. They need him back in three days to have any chance of getting back in the series.

Osgood was sharp again making 19 timely saves to improve to 4-0 since replacing Dominik Hasek.

There’s more hockey on with the Canadiens looking to go two-for-two at the Bell Centre against the Flyers right now.

In case anyone missed it, the Stars got a Brenden Morrow sudden death goal to steal Game One from the Sharks last night.