Big second period lifts Canucks to 4-1 win over Detroit

DETROIT — Derek Dorsett has helped turn Vancouver’s first trip of the season into a successful one.

Dorsett scored his fourth goal of the trip, and the Canucks used a dominant second period to pull away for a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night.

“He’s been amazing for us,” teammate Sven Baertschi said. “He’s literally doing everything, and it’s fun seeing him scoring goals. Right now it’s just that feeling, whenever he has the puck and he’s going down and shooting, it’s just that feeling that that puck might go in.”

Baertschi scored twice for the Canucks, and Jake Virtanen added a goal as well. Vancouver scored three times in the second, outshooting the Red Wings 18-6 in the period.

The Canucks started the season with four home games and went 1-2-1. They’re 3-1 so far on this five-game trip.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Anthony Mantha scored the only goal for the Red Wings, tying it at 1 late in the first. Detroit has lost four in a row, and coach Jeff Blashill didn’t mince words on a night his team was outshot 37-21.

“It was a brutal effort. I thought it was an embarrassing effort, not even close to the level of competitiveness you have to have,” Blashill said. “We should be embarrassed of ourselves, from me at the top all the way on down. We got outcompeted, outworked, outdetailed.”

Vancouver opened the scoring when Bo Horvat’s shot was deflected and trickled right to Baertschi in front of the net. He stickhandled around goalie Jimmy Howard and backhanded the puck in.

Mantha’s equalizer came on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.

Dorsett gave Vancouver the lead back with his fifth goal in the past five games. Horvat found him in front of the net with a pass, and Dorsett’s shot bounced in the air off Howard before coming down behind him and going in the goal.

Dorsett was coming off a two-goal game Friday night in Buffalo.

“This is obviously a great feeling,” Dorsett said. “The boys are enjoying reminding me about what is happening, and that’s been fun.”

Baertschi’s second goal came on a wrist shot from the top of the slot, then the Canucks added another in the final minute of the period.

Detroit’s Mike Green was unable to control the puck entering the Vancouver zone and ended up knocking it backward to Daniel Sedin, who went the other way on a 2-on-1. Sedin passed to Virtanen, whose initial shot was stopped before he put away the rebound .

“Howard made a really nice save, but it came right back to me,” Virtanen said. “It was a lucky bounce for me and a bad one for him. It felt good, because I had plenty of shots tonight. I should have buried a couple more.”

Sedin’s assist on that goal brought his career points total to 990.

Detroit had only one power play, which came in the latter half of the third period.

“We didn’t have the puck early, so when you don’t have the puck it’s hard to attract penalties,” Blashill said. “We were late on every forecheck, we turned pucks over, we didn’t win any battles in our ‘D’ zone. Whenever we did have the puck it seemed like we threw it away.”

NOTES: Red Wings D Danny DeKeyser (lower body) was scratched. … Detroit F Scott Wilson, acquired Saturday in a trade with Pittsburgh, played 9:28 and was credited with two hits.

UP NEXT

Canucks: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Red Wings: At Buffalo on Tuesday night.

___

For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

___

Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

Noah Trister, The Associated Press