Gibson gets 1st shutout in almost 3 years as Red Wings blank Canucks 4-0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — John Gibson made 39 saves for his first NHL shutout in nearly three years, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Monday night.

James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, Nate Danielson and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings (16-11-3), who moved from just outside the crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Detroit has earned at least one point in five consecutive games and is 3-0-1 since an 0-3-1 slide.

The 32-year-old Gibson improved to 7-7-1 in his first season with the Red Wings after 12 with Anaheim. It was his 25th career shutout and first since a 2-0 win for the Ducks over Dallas on Jan. 4, 2023. He is 13-5-2 against Vancouver with four shutouts.

Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen was removed after making 10 saves on 13 shots over two periods. Nikita Tolopilo stopped all six shots he faced in the third.

Vancouver (11-16-3) went 0 for 3 with the man advantage and has gone six games without a power-play goal. Detroit was 0 for 2.

In a fast-moving first period, the Canucks outshot the Red Wings 11-6. But the visitors opened the scoring when van Riemsdyk tapped a loose puck at the net front past Lankinen for his fourth goal in four games.

Late in the second, Copp and Danielson scored 37 seconds apart. Copp’s third of the season was a backdoor tap-in off a pass from defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Danielson’s second career goal was a net-front tip off Sandin-Pellikka's point shot.

Sandin-Pellikka’s two primary assists gave him his first multipoint night in 30 NHL games.

Larkin added an empty-net goal in the third.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was held without a point for the sixth straight game, tying the longest drought of his career in April 2023.

Vancouver center Elias Pettersson missed his second game in a row with an upper-body injury.

Detroit has won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 16 and 18.

Red Wings: Visit the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night in the fourth of a six-game trip.

Canucks: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night to finish a four-game homestand.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Vancouver Canucks' Evander Kane (91) punches Detroit Red Wings' Jacob Bernard-Docker (25) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Detroit Red Wings' James van Riemsdyk (21) celebrates his goal as Vancouver Canucks' Marcus Pettersson (29) skates away during first period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Detroit Red Wings' Nate Danielson (29) jumps to avoid Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson (25) as they vie for the puck during first period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) and Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland (8) watch the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) and Axel Sandin-Pellikka (44) celebrate after defeating the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) stops the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vicky Mboko called Sunday's match at the Australian Open against first-seeded Aryna Sabalenka “a learning curve.”

If so, the 19-year-old Canadian is catching on very quickly.

Sabalenka won in two sets — 6-1, 7-6 (1) to reach the quarterfinals — but Mboko put enormous pressure on the world's top-ranked player in the second set and was a few shots away from forcing a third at Rod Laver Arena.

After trailing 4-1 in the second set, Mboko rallied to force the tiebreaker and seemed to have the momentum until Sabalenka did, well, Sabalenka-like things and won her 20th straight tiebreak.

“I think at the end of the day it really came down to experience,” Mboko said. “She played really great tennis. I, of course, had my chances.”

“It was a pretty nice experience being it was my first time on the center court playing against the world No. 1," she added.

Mboko, No. 16 in the WTA Tour rankings, is becoming famous as a slow starter, which she was in the first set against the top-ranked Sabalenka. But it was different in the second once she seized an opening.

“Trying to find my rhythm as the match went on was important for me,” she said. “I was pretty close in the second set."

Mboko has been showing off her tennis all across Australia.

She was the runner-up a week ago in the Adelaide International, losing to Mirra Andreeva in the final 6-3, 6-1. However, she defeated defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals.

Mboko noted that against lesser players she's able to escape even when she hits shots that are short — not deep enough into the court.

“But with her (Sabalenka) it was from the start, the moment my shot quality wasn't good enough, she was dictating right away,” Mboko said. “So that's something I could work on and learn from the next time.”

And there will surely be a next time in every Grand Slam from here into the foreseeable future. Sabalenka, who is shooting for her third Australian Open title in four years, also made that point.

“She’s an amazing player,” Sabalenka said of Mboko. “It was quite a fight. I’m super happy that I was able to close this match in straight sets. The second set was a bit tricky.”

Sabalenka faces another rising star in American 18-year-old Iva Jovic in the quarterfinals.

Victoria Mboko of Canada plays a forehand return to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Aryna Sabalenka, left, of Belarus is congratulated by Victoria Mboko, right, of Canada following their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Victoria Mboko of Canada plays a backhand return to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Victoria Mboko of Canada plays a backhand return to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)