DETROIT -- Defen seman Matt Dumba had two goals and an assist and the Minnesota Wild beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-1 on Thursday night.
Dylan Larkin after the Red Wings lost 7-1:
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) February 28, 2020
“I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t know what it is, but it just seems like when things go wrong for us, they’re catastrophic.” pic.twitter.com/tO2Zfr45QL
Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists, Ryan Hartman and Ryan Donato and had a goal and an assist each and Jordan Greenway and Eric Staal also scored for Minnesota, which is battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Mikko Koivu had two assists and Alex Stalock made 25 saves.
Jeff Blashill said the worst thing the Red Wings can do is point fingers.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) February 28, 2020
"The last thing we can do is what I call the bitchfest. Where I bitch about them, and they bitch about their linemates." pic.twitter.com/clNDfSfpPZ
Anthony Mantha scored for Detroit, which owns the league's worst record. Jimmy Howard stopped 12 shots before being replaced by Jonathan Bernier, who made seven saves. Howard is 0-18-2 since his last win on Oct. 29, has been pulled five times this season and has allowed nine goals on 33 shots in his last two games.
The Wild scored three goals in a 2:20 span of the first period to take a 3-0 lead.
Hartman opened the scoring with a backhand tip-in that finished off a three-way passing play, with Koivu and Donato, off the rush 7:52 into the game. Donato put in Hartman's rebound 27 seconds later, and Dumba scored on a shot from the point with 9:48 left in the opening period.
Mantha got his 14th goal, on a breakaway, 7:33 into the second period but Dumba's power-play goal restored Minnesota's three-goal lead with 9:30 left in the middle period. Greenway scored 2:35 later, which sent Howard to the bench in favor of Bernier. Fiala added his 18th goal with 1:44 remaining in the second.
Staal scored his 19th goal midway through the third.
Game notes
C Victor Rask was a healthy scratch for Minnesota. ... C Sam Gagner made his debut with Detroit after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. ... Red Wings D Filip Hronek returned after missing four games with a head injury.
UP NEXT
Wild: Visit Columbus on Friday.
Red Wings: At Ottawa on Saturday.
