Howard-led Red Wings shut down Canucks
DETROIT -- Jimmy Howard made 36 saves and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Dylan Larkin, defenseman Brendan Smith and Steve Ott scored for Detroit (8-6-1). Captain Henrik Zetterberg -- who was matched against fellow Swede Henrik Sedin, who is the Canucks captain, for most of the game -- had two assists.
Daniel Sedin scored for Vancouver (5-9-1), which is also 1-9-1 in its last 11. Ryan Miller made 24 saves.
Miller made a spectacular diving save after he began to leave the net for the extra attacker. But Zetterberg got a hold of the puck in the neutral zone and lobbed a shot at the almost-empty net but Miller made a glove save while diving to his right.
Daniel Sedin put Vancouver on the scoreboard to make it 2-1 3:14 into the third period. He finished off a pretty back-and-forth passing play with his twin brother Henrik by beating Howard with a shot from the bottom of the left circle. It was Daniel Sedin's fifth goal.
The Sedins were not matched against Zetterberg's line for the goal.
Ott's first goal as a Red Wing restored Detroit's two-goal lead with 4:46 left. He tipped in defenseman Jonathan Ericsson's shot from the left point.
Detroit led 2-0 after the first period.
Larkin opened the scoring just 32 seconds into the game when he put in the rebound of Zetterberg's shot. It was Larkin's team-leading fifth goal.
Smith made it 2-0 with 1:47 left in the opening period. His slap shot from the point in the middle of the ice trickled through Miller for Smith's second goal.
Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury after taking a hit from Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin.
Athanasiou is tied for second on Detroit with four goals.
NOTE: Detroit G Jimmy Howard, who started the season as the backup goaltender to Petr Mrazek, made his third consecutive start. He has a 1.26 goals-against average, .958 save percentage and is 3-2. ... Vancouver sent F Jake Virtanen to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, on Wednesday. Virtanen has an assist in 10 games. ... The Red Wings' healthy scratches were D Xavier Ouellet, D Ryan Sproul and LA Drew Miller, who is the brother of Vancouver G Ryan Miller. ... The Canucks' scratches were D Alex Biega and D Philip Larsen. ... This is Vancouver's last trip to Joe Louis Arena. Detroit moves to a new home, Little Caesars Arena, next season.