Red Wings 4, Avalanche 0

DENVER--On his 34th birthday, Steve Yzerman lit two candles--at the expense of Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy.

Yzerman scored two goals and Bill Ranford gained his fourth career playoff shutout as the Detroit Red Wings beat Colorado 4-0 yesterday to take a 2-0 series lead.

Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference semifinal are scheduled for Detroit on Tuesday and Thursday.

"I have spent better birthdays," Yzerman said. "But I won't tell you what happened. It wasn't with a bunch of sports reporters."

In a game featuring the sort of fierce hitting that has come to define this rivalry, the Red Wings stayed unbeaten in these playoffs. They registered their sixth straight playoff victory and 11th straight since last year's postseason.

Detroit, seeking a third consecutive Stanley Cup title, gave coach Scotty Bowman his 200th career playoff win--extending his NHL record.

Bowman, who entered this year's playoffs with 194 wins, said, "I knew if we won six games this year, I'd feel very good. If not, I'd feel very bad. Somebody reminded me before the playoffs, but that's the only time I've thought about it. I worry more about the 111 losses."

Yzerman, the Red Wings' captain, scored in each of the first two periods, giving him eight goals in the playoffs to equal a career high.