Patrick Kane scores 500th career goal as Red Wings dump Canucks 5-1

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Patrick Kane scored twice, including the 500th goal of his NHL career, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 win over the visiting Canucks Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, J.T. Compher and Lucas Raymond also scored for the Wings (26-15-4), with James van Riemsdyk adding a pair of assists. John Gibson stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the goaltending win.

Jake DeBrusk had the lone goal for the Canucks (16-22-5), with Kevin Lankinen taking the loss in goal, making 20 saves.

The Wings took a 1-0 lead with just 28.5 seconds left in the first period. With Detroit on a two-man advantage, Kane beat Lankinen short-side with a wrist shot from the left circle. It was the veteran winger’s seventh goal of the year and 499th of his career.

Shots on goal after 20 minutes were tied at 10-10.

In the second, Detroit took a 2-0 lead at 5:09 when van Riemsdyk’s nifty backhand pass found Sandin-Pellikka, who fired a shot past Lankinen from the slot.

DeBrusk cut the lead in half less than two minutes later on a Vancouver power play, taking a pass from Kiefer Sherwood and slotting home a low shot past Gibson. DeBrusk has 12 goals on the season, 11 on the power play.

Compher restored Detroit’s two-goal margin at 10:10, converting a no-look feed from van Riemsdyk and beating Lankinen from the top of the crease. It was Compher’s fifth marker of the year and first in 20 games.

In the final period, Kane counted his milestone goal, stepping across the blue-line and scoring into an empty net at 16:07.

“Nice to get it done,” said Kane after the game. “To still be playing (at age 37) and feeling pretty good is enjoyable.”

With Lankinen back in goal, Raymond completed the scoring at 18:10.

The Canucks continue their six-game road wing Saturday (4 p.m.) against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NOTES: Kane became the 50th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. He is the fifth American to reach the milestone, and seventh to do it against the Canucks… Vancouver was eithout injured forwards Conor Garland (upper body) and Marco Rossi (lower body). Dating back to 2019, the Red Wings have won eight of their last 11 matchups against Vancouver… The Canucks were 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Wings were 1-for-3.