Red Wings Bounce Back After Loss, Defeat Wild 5-1

The Detroit Red Wings – unhappy with having given up a third-period lead in a loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night – played a solid sixty minutes of hockey to pick up a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Detroit limited Minnesota to 22 shots. After they came out of the first period with a 3-1 lead they clamped down defensively, holding the Wild to four shots in the second and five in the third.

Johan Franzen opened the game’s scoring 2:25 into the opening period with a blast from the top of the left faceoff circle. Minnesota goaltender Josh Harding got a piece of the puck with his right arm but it fluttered over him and into the net.

Tomas Holmstrom scored a power play goal at 9:19 to make it 2-0. Holmstrom fired a shot from just inside the right point. The puck deflected off of defenseman Nick Shultz and got past Harding.

Just 56 seconds later, Henrik Zetterberg extended Detroit’s lead to three when Patrick Eaves worked the puck from behind the net to Zetterberg at the top of the crease for a shap shot over Harding.

The Wild got on the board with 11 seconds left in the period when Andrew Ebbett threw the puck to the front of the net and it deflected off of Brad Stuart and in past goalie Jimmy Howard.

Drew Miller restored the three goal lead for the Red Wings with 7:02 left in the middle frame. He stole the puck at the left point on a Minnesota power play and fed Valtteri Filppula on the rush. Harding cut off Filppula’s angle but Filppula threw the puck on goal as Miller followed up, crashing the net. The puck bounced off Miller’s midsection and fell in past Harding.

Franzen wrapped up the game’s scoring with 5:17 left in the game, snapping a quick shot between the legs of defenseman Jaime Sifers and past Harding.

Harding finished the night with 25 saves on 30 Detroit chances. Howard made 21 saves on Minnesota’s 22 shots.

The Red Wings went 1-for-6 with the extra attacker while the Wild were scoreless on five tries with one shorthanded goal against.