Mantha scores four goals for Red Wings in win against Stars

DETROIT --Anthony Mantha scored all four goals for the Detroit Red Wings in a 4-3 win against the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

Mantha scored the game-winning goal with 54 seconds remaining on a one-timer from the top of the right circle following a face-off win by Dylan Larkin. He is the first Red Wings player to score at least four goals since Johan Franzen had five against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 2, 2011.
"When he's moving his feet, he's as good as anyone in the world," Larkin said. "It's fun to be on the ice with him when he's playing like that."
WATCH: [All Stars vs. Red Wings highlights]
Larkin and Filip Hronek each had two assists, and Jonathan Bernier made 19 saves for Detroit (2-0-0). The top line of Larkin, Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi have combined to score eight of the Red Wings' nine goals this season.
"That line was dominant tonight," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "Mantha got the goals, but it was all three of them. They've got someone who owns the net front (Bertuzzi), a shooter (Mantha) and a puck possession guy (Larkin).
"That's what you are looking for from a top line."

Roope Hintz scored twice, and Anton Khudobin made 29 saves for Dallas, which has begun the season 0-3-0 for the first time its history. The Minnesota North Stars started 0-4-0 in 1988-89.
"We've got to be better than this," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "We've got to watch the film and learn from what we're doing wrong."
Hintz gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 10:57 of the first period with a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle.
"I'm always trying to use my speed down the wing, but it doesn't always open up," Hintz said. "That time, it did."

Tyler Seguin extended the lead to 2-0 at 16:49, skating around Larkin and down the left wing before cutting to the slot and scoring his first goal of the season.
"I didn't think much happened in the first period either way, but [Larkin's] line made two mistakes and we were down 2-0," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "They weren't good in that period, but they really stepped up for the last two."
Mantha cut it to 2-1 with a power-play goal 48 seconds into the second period.
"I didn't actually mind our power play (which went 1-for-8)," Blashill said. "We got some chances, and even if we didn't score, that's a lot of time we're running off the clock where they aren't getting a chance to create offense."
Mantha tied it 2-2 at 9:43 after skating around Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and cutting across the crease before finishing into an open net. He completed the hat trick 15 seconds into the third period, tapping in a rebound from the edge of the crease to make it 3-2.

"That's just an unacceptable play by my line," Benn said. "It's the first shift of the third period in a tie game, and we gave them an easy tap-in."
Hintz scored 33 seconds later on a rebound in front to tie it 3-3.
"This is two games, that's not a good start," Blashill said. "We need to take 10,000 steps forward this season, hopefully without taking many backward. We've only taken the first few."

They said it

"We know we are capable of doing a lot better than this. We've got to stay together as a team, find a way to create the kind of pressure that draws penalties, and bounce back against Washington (on Tuesday)." -- Stars forward Roope Hintz
"[Mantha] gets exponentially better when he's playing with confidence, and that's what you are seeing now. When he's moving his feet and going like this, you are looking at a guy who is 6-foot-5 with speed and great hands and he's showing that whole package." -- Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill
"Obviously, I started out looking at 30 (goals on the season). With this kind of start, I might have to think about more than that." -- Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha on his expectations for the season

Need to know

Mantha is the first player in the NHL to score four goals in a game since John Tavares did it with the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Florida Panthers on March 25, 2019. … Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and forward Frans Nielsen left in the third after being hit in the head with the puck. Blashill didn't have an update on Nielsen but said Daley is doubtful for the game Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.

What's next

Stars: At the Washington Capitals on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, NBCSWA, FS-SW, NHL.TV)
Red Wings: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-D, PRIME, NHL.TV)