Howard, Filppula lead Red Wings past Wild 6-0

[March 03, 2012]  DETROIT (AP) -- Jimmy Howard made 19 saves for his 11th career shutout, Valtteri Filppula had two goals and an assist, and Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and two assists in the Detroit Red Wings 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.

The Red Wings snapped the two-game skid at home that followed its NHL record 23-game winning streak in Detroit.

Ian White a goal and an assist and Brendan Smith and Darren Helm also scored for the Red Wings. Niklas Kronwall had three assists. It was Howard's sixth shutout of the season.

Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom missed his second game with a deep bone bruise to his right ankle. He is expected to miss at least two more games.

Filppula opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the game when he put in a rebound to reach 20 goals for the first time in his career. Smith's first NHL goal made it 2-0 with 3:04 left when he put in a loose puck from a goal-mouth scramble.

Detroit scored three times in the second period to blow the game open.

Helm got his eighth goal 7:05 into the middle period when he beat Josh Harding from the inside edge of the left circle. Filppula's second goal of the game came with 3:25 left in the second on a one-time slap shot from the high slot. White's seventh goal came 1:07 later.

Zetterberg scored 5:30 into the third period, which sent Harding to the showers in favor of Matt Hackett.

Harding stopped 23 shots, and Hackett made six saves for Minnesota.

NOTES: The Red Wings were also without C Pavel Datsyuk (arthroscopic knee surgery) and D Jonathan Ericsson (broken left wrist). ... Minnesota was without G Niklas Backstrom, who suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's 5-4 shootout loss in Montreal. ... Red Wings D Kyle Quincey returned after missing a game with a sore groin. ... Hackett is the nephew of former NHL goalie Jeff Hackett and played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Plymouth Whalers, who are based in suburban Detroit. ... Detroit F Todd Bertuzzi left with a lower-body injury. ... The six goals were the most allowed by the Wild in a game this season.

[Associated Press]

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