Thomas Greiss stellar as Red Wings top Canucks

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss stops a shot from Vancouver's Alex Chiasson as Nick Leddy (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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DETROIT – Thomas Greiss picked up where he left off the final month of last season, making 40 saves Saturday to lead the Detroit Red Wings past the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 at Little Caesars Arena.

Filip Zadina snapped a tie with a power-play goal in the second period. Robby Fabbri also scored for Detroit (1-0-1). Sam Gagner’s empty-net goal with 58 seconds to play sealed the victory.

The Red Wings, after allowing three power-play goals to Tampa Bay in their opener, killed all three Vancouver power plays, including a holding penalty on Lucas Raymond with 6:02 remaining in regulation.

Greiss finished strong last season, going 6-1-4, with a 1.65 goals-against average and .946 save percentage over his final 13 appearances.

A potential game-tying goal by Jack Rathbone with 2:31 to play was immediately waived off for goaltender interference. Nils Hoglander made contact with Greiss’ head as the puck was approaching.

The Canucks dropped to 1-1-1.

The Red Wings played without Dylan Larkin, who served a one-game suspension for punching Tampa Bay’s Mathieu Joseph on Thursday but wouldn’t have been available anyway due to an unspecified injury.

Fabbri replaced Larkin on the top line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Raymond and opened the scoring at 11:05 of the first period. He was in the slot when he redirected a pass from Marc Staal past Halak. Gustav Lindstrom made a good play at the blue line to keep the puck in the zone and picked up his second assist in as many games.

Zadina put his team ahead 2-1 at 6:42 of the second period, blasting in a one-timer off a pass from Moritz Seider on the power play. Seider has three assists in two games.

Conor Garland had tied it at 1-1 at 4:56 of the second period on a sharp-angle shot from the goal line that banked in off of Greiss’ mask.

The Red Wings continue their season-opening four-game homestand Tuesday against Columbus.

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