DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings were specifically engineered to win themselves a Stanley Cup, and win it now. For many of their aging superstars, this is their last chance, and so far, it's been a good one.

But those darned Avs just won't roll over and die.

Goaltender Patrick Roy is bailing the Avalanche out, one fantastic save after another, and Detroit's snipers just can't solve him. In the first four games of the series, Brendan Shanahan had 18 shots on goal, but he hasn't scored since May 11. Sergei Fedorov had 22, and he scored his first goal since April 25th on the penalty kill in Game 4. Steve Yzerman and Chris Chelios are yet to get on the board.

The Avs' stars have not been red-hot. But Joe Sakic, Chris Drury and Peter Forsberg have stepped up with big plays when it was necessary to steal games from the Wings and keep the Avs in the series, which is tied at two games apiece.

"We scored only one goal last game, but I think you look around the locker room and you see great goal scorers," Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek said. "However, that's a great defense, and a great goaltender."

Colorado's defense, built to include gritty forwards Stephane Yelle and Eric Messier, has worked on the Red Wings. But on the blue line, Avs coach Bob Hartley has shortened his bench and is only playing four defensemen -- Rob Blake and Adam Foote each played over 28 minutes in Game 4, and Greg de Vries and Darius Kasparaitis played more than 20. Fifth and sixth defensemen Martin Skoula and Brian Muir played only seven and five minutes, respectively.

In Monday's Game 5 (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET), the Wings have to take advantage of the Avs' tired legs.

"They went with four defensemen, and they're playing nearly 30 minutes now," Wings coach Scotty Bowman said. "Any attack you can put on them would be an advantage. We have to force them into some mistakes."

To get to Roy, Detroit will have to get more chances on the power play. Shots from the point and traffic in front of the net will make it difficult for even St. Patrick.

"Right now, we're looking for perfect plays, but if you look back on the power-play goals we've scored in this series, they haven't been pretty ones," Shanahan said. "On the power play, we haven't shot as much as we should. We need to throw a lot of pucks at the net from angles, and get rebounds."

Detroit has outshot the Avalanche 138-96 so far in the series. The chances are there. The energy is there. The old legs are still kicking. But the Wings need more. They need their stars to show the finishing power that earned them their illustrious reputations.

Otherwise, clutch Colorado could pull off an upset.