'What's the point?': Foligno injured, Wild blast Avs for questionable hits

Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason wasn't pleased after a pair of questionable hits in his team's regular-season finale against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Avalanche defenseman Kurtis MacDermid caught Wild forward Marcus Foligno with a knee-on-knee hit in the first period, and Foligno had to be helped down the tunnel after laying on the ice in pain for several moments.

"What a terrible hit. What a terrible, terrible hit. ... Obviously, (Foligno) doesn't come back to play, so it's serious enough that one of the toughest guys I've ever seen can't come back and play," Evason said following the Wild's 4-1 victory, per Bally Sports North.

"It's an awful thing to happen," he continued. "Especially this time (of year), forget about any time. What's the point of it? What's the point?"

MacDermid received a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.

Evason also called out Colorado forward Logan O'Connor, who pushed Dmitry Kulikov into the boards.

"The cross-check. What's the point of that? Cross-check a guy five feet from the boards. It just doesn't make any sense. Regardless of what the situation is, last game of the season, you just don't do that crap."

MacDermid was ultimately fined $2,188 by the NHL Department of Player Safety, while O'Connor was handed a fine of $1,813.

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said he was "fired up" while watching teammate Brandon Duhaime go to bat for Kulikov.

"I thought I was going to wrap that guy (O'Connor) up and put him on a tee for (Duhaime). But I would have got tossed for that for sure," Dumba said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo. "I sat back down after that, and I looked over at (Jonas Brodin), and I was like, 'I gotta calm down. I've got to settle down, or I'm gonna be running around or doing something stupid.'"

O'Connor received a penalty for boarding, while he and Duhaime were both penalized for the fight. Duhaime was also handed an instigating minor and a 10-minute misconduct.

There was no update on Foligno, who'll be evaluated on Saturday, according to the Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan. His absence would be a big blow for the Wild, who are entering a first-round matchup against the St. Louis Blues.

Foligno set a career high with 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 74 contests this season. The physical veteran leads all Wild skaters with 238 hits.