The Red Wings are putting together that win streak they’ve been talking about.
They won their third consecutive game, and sixth in the last nine, defeating the Canucks 6-1 on Monday in Vancouver.
Dylan Larkin, who was dominant in the first period scoring two goals (one a power play), Robby Fabbri, Gustav Lindstrom, Pius Suter and Jonatan Berggren scored while goaltender Ville Husso stopped 28 shots.
Sheldon Dries scored for Vancouver.
Monday’s victory for the Wings (24-20-8) was the start of a five-game road trip, a trip they hope to string some wins together to claw closer to a playoff spot. They closed to within five points of Pittsburgh for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Wings were looking for a good start Monday and they got it, mainly because of Larkin.
Larkin was dangerous from the start with several scoring chances and was finally rewarded with a goal at 10:58 of the first period.
BOX SCORE: Red Wings 6, Canucks 1
Larkin took a feed from Moritz Seider, skated through the Canucks’ defense, and beat goaltender Collin Delia with a backhand. Larkin then scored his 20th (and 50th point) with just 36 seconds left in the first period on the power play.
Again, Larkin skated through the Canucks and his shot was turned aside by Delia. But Tyler Bertuzzi’s aggressive forecheck got the puck back for the Wings, and Fabbri found Larkin for the tip-in.
Dries cut the lead to 2-1 at 1:31 of the second period, but the Wings restored the two-goal lead thanks to Fabbri.
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The Wings swarmed Delia, and Fabbri poked a loose puck past Delia for Fabbri’s fifth goal, at 8:09.
Any hopes Vancouver had of rallying were quickly dashed in the third period.
Lindstrom scored his first this season (and second of his NHL career), just 40 seconds into the third period, giving the Wings a 4-1 lead.
Suter scored his seventh, converting Oskar Sundqvist’s pass on a two-on-none rush at 5:19, and Berggren scored his 11th at 7:52 with the Wings possessing an extra skater on a delayed penalty for Vancouver.
The Wings played their second consecutive game without Lucas Raymond and Jake Walman, both of whom are day-to-day.
The Wings face the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday (9:30 p.m/BSD Extra/97.1).
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan