Red Wings clobber Canucks 8-3

After the first period at Joe Louis Arena, the Vancouver Canucks looked like they were on the way to completing a sensational road trip.

They were up 3-2 over a tough opponent after winning two of three previous games.

And the one they lost came on a shootout, so the Canucks were in a position to take seven out of eight points in four away games.

But those high hopes vanished in the second period when Detroit scored three power-play goals. The third followed Zack Kassian's third penalty of the second period, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Then, the Wings put three more behind Roberto Luongo in the third period, shattering his league-leading goals-against average.

Daniel Sedin scored two of the Canucks goals, each assisted by brother Henrik.

Alex Burrows also posted a helper on Sedin's second goal. Remarkably, he ended up plus two on a night when the Canucks were annihilated.

The only other Canucks goal came an unassisted backhander by Chris Higgins at 18:26 of the first period.

Damien Brunner led the Wings ith two goals and two assists. Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall each had a goal and two assists, and Joakim Andersson had two goals.

The Canucks are 10-4-4 on the season and remain atop the Northwest Division standings, six points ahead of the Minnesota Wild.