The Detroit Red Wings (15-11-3) invade Rogers Arena as slight favorites against a banged-up Vancouver Canucks (11-15-3) squad that’s limped to a 4-8-1 home record amid a six-game losing streak, capped by a 4-1 thud to Utah on Friday. Detroit, third in the Atlantic with a +4 goal differential, rides a 2-0-2 stretch highlighted by a 4-3 road win over Seattle on Saturday, where Moritz Seider’s three assists propelled the comeback. The Red Wings’ balanced attack (3.07 GF/G, 13th) and road resilience (6-5-2) clash with Vancouver’s depleted lineup—missing Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko—exposing a defense that’s allowed 3.59 GA/G (32nd). This Pacific-Atlantic tilt, the first of two meetings this season, revives a series Detroit has owned lately (6-3-1 L10), but the Canucks’ desperation at home could spark a trap game in a matchup projecting under 6.5 goals given combined PK strengths (82.5%).
Game Details
Puckdrop: 10:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia (capacity: 18,910)
Broadcast: ESPN+, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), Bally Sports Detroit (Red Wings), SN360
This West Coast nightcap closes Monday’s slate, with Vancouver opening a three-game homestand and Detroit extending a six-game road trip (now 2-1-1). The Canucks’ fans have seen just 2.86 GF/G in home losses, setting up a potential low-event grinder.
Injury Report
Vancouver’s injury crisis deepens their woes (112 man-games lost), gutting their top line and net, while Detroit’s absences are minor, allowing lineup stability. The Red Wings have missed 34 man-games.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury | Estimated Return | Notes |
| Detroit Red Wings | Mason Appleton | C | Out | Lower Body | December 13 | Missed 8 games; bottom-six depth (4G-5A in 21GP before injury). |
| Detroit Red Wings | Shai Buium | D | Injured Reserve | Undisclosed | December 13 | Prospect; no games played this season. |
| Detroit Red Wings | Derek Forbort | D | Out | Undisclosed | December 10 | Acquired shutdown D (0G-2A in 18GP); +3 rating—third-pair role. |
| Vancouver Canucks | Elias Pettersson | C | Out (Day-to-Day) | Upper Body | December 8 | Star center (12G-18A-30P); missed last three—huge creation void (team 2.5 GF/G without him). |
| Vancouver Canucks | Pierre-Olivier Joseph | D | Out | Illness | December 8 | Depth blueliner (1G-3A in 15GP); practiced but unlikely. |
| Vancouver Canucks | Thatcher Demko | G | Injured Reserve | Lower Body | December 11 | Starter (6-7-1, 3.58 GAA); Arturs Silovs (5-4-0, 2.80 GAA) starts back-to-back. |
| Vancouver Canucks | Nils Hoglander | LW | Injured Reserve | Lower Body | December 15 | Grinder (5G-7A in 20GP); physical edge lost. |
| Vancouver Canucks | Filip Chytil | C | Injured Reserve | Undisclosed | January 5, 2026 | Middle-six pivot; limited to 10GP this season. |
Impact: Vancouver’s absences drop their offense to 2.86 GF/G; Pettersson’s void forces J.T. Miller into 25+ minutes. Detroit’s D is steady without Forbort, leaning on Seider (25:15 TOI).
Key Player Matchups
Detroit’s structure meets Vancouver’s chaos—injuries elevate grinders. Red Wings’ 78.2% PK faces Canucks’ 22.5% PP (10th).
Dylan Larkin (DET, C) vs. J.T. Miller (VAN, C): Larkin (15G-16A-31P) leads with speed (team-high 85 SOG); Miller (11G-14A) shoulders load sans Pettersson (52% faceoffs). Larkin’s burst edges. Edge: Larkin.
Lucas Raymond (DET, LW) vs. Brock Boeser (VAN, RW): Raymond (10G-21A-31P) dazzles on PP (team-high 8 PPG); Boeser (13G) snipes but -7 rating. Raymond’s playmaking. Edge: Raymond.
Moritz Seider (DET, D) vs. Conor Garland (VAN, LW): Seider (3A Saturday, +5) shutdowns rushes; Garland (8G-10A) forechecks but turnover-prone. Seider’s physicality. Edge: Seider.
Goalie Duel: Cam Talbot (DET) vs. Arturs Silovs (VAN): Talbot (9-4-2, 3.01 GAA, .884 SV%) hot on road (6-2-1); Silovs (5-4-0, 2.80 GAA) spotty in starts. Edge: Talbot—experience.
Projected Lines (Subject to change):
Red Wings: Raymond-Larkin-DeBrincat | Copp-Kasper-Perron | Berggren-Engstrand-Fabbri | Erne-Mazur-Chiarot | Seider-Gustafsson | Walman-Spicer
Canucks: Boeser-Miller-Garland | Hoglander (out)-Studenic-Burroughs | Di Giuseppe-Blueger-Suter | Lockwood-Dries-Robinson | Ekman-Larsson-Bear
Team Records and Standings
| Team | Record | Points | Goal Diff. | Home/Away | Division Rank |
| Detroit Red Wings | 15-11-3 | 33 | +4 | 9-6-1 Home / 6-5-2 Away | 3rd Atlantic |
| Vancouver Canucks | 11-15-3 | 25 | -21 | 4-8-1 Home / 7-7-2 Away | 8th Pacific |
Red Wings 13th GF/G (3.07), 28th GA/G (3.45), 78.2% PK; Canucks 22nd GF/G (2.86), 32nd GA/G (3.59), 81.0% PK.
Recent Team Forms
Detroit’s road wins mask SO losses; Vancouver’s skid features offensive droughts (1.4 GF/G L5).
Red Wings Last 5 Games (3-2-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Dec. 6 | @ SEA | W 4-3 | Seider 3A; Talbot 28 saves, comeback from 3-1 down. |
| Dec. 4 | @ CBJ | L 6-5 (SO) | Kane 2G; 2/5 PP but SO loss. |
| Dec. 2 | vs. BOS | W 5-4 | Larkin GWG; high-event, 35 SOG. |
| Nov. 29 | vs. TBL | L 3-2 | Defensive stand; 1/3 PP. |
| Nov. 28 | @ NSH | W 4-1 | Raymond 2A; Talbot strong (26 saves). |
Canucks Last 5 Games (0-5-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Dec. 5 | vs. UTA | L 1-4 | Silovs 18/22 saves; 0/3 PP drought. |
| Dec. 2 | @ COL | L 1-3 | Lankinen 28/31; low-event loss. |
| Nov. 29 | @ LAK | L 1-2 | 20 SOG; PK 3/3 but outshot. |
| Nov. 28 | @ SJS | L 2-3 | Boeser GWG too late; 34 SOG. |
| Nov. 26 | @ ANA | L 4-5 | Miller 2A; chaotic, 28 SOG. |
Red Wings 4-4-2 L10 (3.2 GF/G); Canucks 3-6-1 L10 (2.5 GF/G).
Series History
These clubs have met 190 times (regular season), with Detroit holding a 102-70-18 edge overall (58.4% win rate), including 98-65-18 in regular season (58.2%). Red Wings lead on the road (45-39-10-1 at Rogers). Recent: Detroit 6-3-1 L10, outscoring VAN 30-28; last meeting Feb. 2, 2025: DET 3-2 OT win. All-time avg. 6.3 goals; no playoff history.
Betting Trends
Puck Line: DET covers 45% as road faves.
Total (O/U): 6.5 (Over +106; Under -130) – Under 6-3 in VAN’s L9 home; DET 4-1 Under L5 road.
Trends: Red Wings 6-3-1 SU L10 H2H; Canucks 1-9 SU L10 overall. VAN 3-7 ATS as home dogs.
Game Odds
Detroit Red Wings – 125
Vancouver Canucks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Sunday, December 7, 2025
