Parise helps Wild overpower Red Wings
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild got a burst of offense on Sunday, featuring a pair of goals by Zach Parise in the third period as they overpowered a tired Detroit Red Wings team with a 6-3 win.
The Wild (37-12-6) also got goals from Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Christian Folin to improve to 4-0-1 in their past five games. Goalie Devan Dubnyk had 30 saves for Minnesota, which took a two-goal lead four times in the game only to see Detroit continue to answer until running out of gas late.
The Red Wings (22-24-10) had played in Columbus less than 24 hours earlier and trailed by two after the first period, but got goals from Anthony Mantha, Henrik Zetterberg and Andreas Athanasiou to stay in the game. Goalie Jared Coreau had 23 saves for Detroit, which has lost four in a row.
The Wild led 3-2 after two and got Parise's first of the game for a two-goal lead. Athanasiou answered 35 seconds later to pull Detroit back within one, but late goals by Folin and Parise put the game out of reach.
The Wild received the game's initial power-play opportunity and the first goal in the latter half of the opening period.
Captain Mikko Koivu fed a pass to Granlund, who was camped out near the crease to the right of Coreau. Granlund's tip of the pass clanked the left post, but the puck landed in the crease, and Granlund was able to backhand it in.
Minnesota defenseman Gustav Olofsson, playing in his sixth career game, got the second assist on the goal for his first NHL point.
Later in the first, Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon twice shoved Red Wings left winger Gustav Nyquist from behind, trying to get position in a battle for the puck. Nyquist got up and swung his stick, hitting Spurgeon just below the left eye. Spurgeon crumpled to the ice and was helped off, while Nyquist went to the penalty box and received a four-minute major penalty.
Minnesota doubled its lead with Nyquist in the box, as Koivu zipped a cross-ice pass to Niederreiter, who needed only to tap the puck in low with Coreau still hugging the near post. It was Niederreiter's fourth goal in as many games.
Detroit made a push in the second period with 13 shots on goal, and got on the board when some defensive confusion left Mantha all alone with a clear route to the Wild net. Mantha made a quick stick move and tucked the puck between Dubnyk's knees.
Coyle made it 3-1 for Minnesota on a breakaway, but Detroit answered 35 seconds later. Zetterberg batted a puck out of the air after a Dubnyk save, and it fluttered over the goalie's right shoulder to pull the Red Wings back within a goal.
NOTES: Detroit was without RW Thomas Vanek on Sunday. The former University of Minnesota star, who spent the previous two seasons with the Wild, suffered a lower-body injury in the third period of the Red Wings' 2-1 loss in Columbus on Saturday. ... Sunday's game was the third contest in a franchise-record eight-game home homestand for the Wild. They do not have a road game until Feb. 28 when they visit Winnipeg. ... Wild RW Mikael Granlund is having his best offensive season, setting a new career high with his 34th assist in Minnesota's last game. ... Fans stood for a moment of silence honoring late Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch before Sunday's game. Ilitch, founder of the Little Caesar's pizza chain, bought the team in 1982 and also owned baseball's Detroit Tigers. He passed away Friday at age 87. ... Minnesota D Matt Dumba was scratched due to a lower-body injury on Sunday, missing his first game of the season. Dumba did not practice on Saturday after being injured in the Wild's 2-1 shootout win over Tampa Bay on Friday.