DETROIT (AP) – The Mule-led Detroit Red Wings are kicking the Colorado Avalanche when they’re down.

Johan Franzen scored three times to lift Detroit to a 5-1 victory Saturday over the banged-up Avs, giving the NHL’s top-seeded team a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound center – known as “Mule” – redirected a shot in front of the net early in the game, scored on a wraparound in the second period and whacked a rebound out of the air in the third.

It was his first career hat trick in the NHL, and first since the Swede was a teenager.

Darren McCarty was the last Red Wing to score three times in the playoffs, pulling off the feat against the Avs in the 2002 conference final en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

“Sorry about that, Mac,” Franzen joked. “What can I say? I got lucky.”

The humble player had two goals and an assist in Detroit’s series-opening win.

“He’s got a hot stick right now,” Colorado coach Joel Quenneville said. “Everything he touches seems to be going in.”

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Colorado.

Chris Osgood made 19 saves for the Red Wings.

Colorado’s Jose Theodore gave up four goals on 20 shots and was pulled for a second straight game. Peter Budaj stopped all 12 shots he faced in the second period and finished with 19 saves.

Flyers 4, Habs 2

MONTREAL (AP) – R.J. Umberger scored twice, Martin Biron made 34 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Saturday night to even the second-round series at a game apiece.

Jeff Carter and Daniel Briere also scored to help the Flyers rebound after they blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads Thursday night a 4-3 overtime loss.

Saku Koivu scored his first goal of the playoffs for Montreal. Carey Price made 19 saves.

Game 3 is Monday night in Philadelphia.

Umberger opened the scoring 5:53 in with his third goal of the playoffs.

He sealed the win with his second goal of the game with 2:21 remaining in the third, shooting into a wide open right side after he batted the puck out of Price’s glove.

Briere, who has been booed throughout the first two games at the Bell Centre, got his seventh goal of the playoffs 13:33 into the second to restore the Flyers’ two-goal lead after Koivu scored on a power play late in the first.

Price was beaten on shots over his left shoulder twice in the first half of the opening period as Umberger and Carter scored goals 2:46 apart to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead 8:39 in.