DENVER -- For the Detroit Red Wings, it's now or never.

They must win Wednesday night, or their manufactured Dream Team goes home Cup-less.

	“	We'd be frustrated if we weren't getting chances, but these guys are getting their chances. The goal scorers are still goal scorers, and if they keep getting the chances, they'll find the net.”
		— Darren McCarty, Red Wings forward

They're down 3-2 in the Western Conference finals, facing elimination and a nasty crowd at the Pepsi Center. It's time for their ringers to ring, their grinders to grind, their movers to move and their shakers to shake.

Monday night at Joe Louis Arena, amidst a sold-out sea of red and white jerseys, the Wings just couldn't carry out their game plan.

Before Game 5, the Wings talked about getting more shots on Avs goaltender Patrick Roy. They talked about abandoning the pursuit for a perfect play and creating traffic in front of Roy. They talked about getting more chances on the power play.

But despite their efforts and pregame plans, Detroit finished the game with 27 shots, two less than the Avalanche. They had a perfect chance to take the lead when the Avs took a bench minor for having too many men on the ice 13:06 into the third period, but the Wings couldn't tap into their power-play well. With Avalanche winger Brian Willsie in the box for interference, Detroit captain Steve Yzerman stuffed the puck past Roy for Detroit's only goal in Game 5. It wasn't pretty, but it counted.

Facing elimination in Game 6, the plan is the same. No changes in strategy.

"Whether we're down 3-2, or up 3-2, or tied 2-2, we look at every game the same. We know what we have to do," Yzerman said.

"We have to get more bodies in there on Patrick and score a couple of dirty goals," Detroit Grind-Liner Darren McCarty said. "This is the playoffs and it's not about pretty plays."

For Detroit to win, their big names have to get on the board. Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Sergei Fedorov have been very quiet so far. Between them, the trio has only two goals in the series. Last night, Hull had two shots blocked by sprawling winger Eric Messier.

Brendan Shanahan, who had three goals on 20 shots against St. Louis in the conference semifinals, has no goals on 22 shots in the series. In Game 5, he came close hitting the post with Roy sprawled on the ice and an open net in front of him.

"Hitting the post, that's in the past. We have to focus on the next one," Shanahan said. "It was a punishing drive home last night, but we can't dwell on it. We're getting chances. We just have to keep shooting, driving to the net, and creating traffic and we'll make it happen."

Despite facing a must-win situation, the Wings still remained positive.

"It's not frustrating at all, because really, what can you do?" Fedorov said. "Things happen. You wish something will change and go right for you once in a while, but if it doesn't, you can't just stop right there and make it all you think about."

"We'd be frustrated if we weren't getting chances, but these guys are getting their chances," McCarty said. "The goal scorers are still goal scorers, and if they keep getting the chances, they'll find the net."

This series has gone game for game. Each team has won on the road. Detroit's offense has made Colorado's defense -- namely Rob Blake and Greg de Vries -- abandon most of its offensive role. Detroit's defense has stifled Colorado's offense as well, holding Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk to just six goals combined.

"When you play five games, somebody's going to be up one," Detroit coach Scotty Bowman said. "But I think the series has been dead even."

So dead even that a lucky bounce or a cheap goal could be the deciding factor in Game 6. Now, wouldn't that be frustrating?