Jared Coreau, Red Wings blank Kings

LOS ANGELES -- Jared Coreau made an NHL career-high 34 saves for his first shutout in the League to help the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Thursday.
Thomas Vanek scored two goals, and Andreas Athanasiou, a healthy scratch for a 2-0 loss at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, had a goal and two assists for his first three-point game in the NHL. It was Vanek's first two-goal game since a season-opening 6-4 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 13.

WATCH: All Red Wings vs. Kings highlights
Anthony Mantha scored his sixth goal in the past seven games for the Red Wings (17-17-5), who won for the first time in three games.
Coreau said though his first NHL shutout was a personal milestone, he didn't want to get too excited.
"It feels good, but I don't think a career is based on one shutout," he said. "I guess it's just a feel-good thing."

Detroit scored three times in the first period.
"Out net presence was better in the first period," coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's hard to score in this league, so you've got to go to the net. I thought we had a way more concerted effort. I thought we had pretty good jump."
Vanek scored his first goal on his first shift at 1:42 when Frans Nielsen circled the net and backhanded a pass to him on the doorstep.
The Kings had a chance to tie the game at 7:26 when Tanner Pearson was awarded a penalty shot, but Coreau made the save.
Athanasiou made it 2-0 at 10:02 when he intercepted a pass from Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel and scored.

"When he's that determined, he's a big-time talent," Blashill said. "We're a better team when [Athanasiou] is going at a high level."
Vanek scored again at 18:17 off a rebound to make it 3-0.
Mantha beat Kings goalie Jeff Zatkoff from the high slot at 7:33 of the third period to make it 4-0.
Zatkoff made 18 saves for the Kings (19-16-4).
"We just weren't winning battles," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We were turning pucks over on our backcheck. I know one of those goals was because we turned the puck over, then on the backcheck we lost our coverage. The other ones were just down-low battles that we lost. That's something we pride ourselves on, winning every little battle, being good in our D zone, and not turning pucks over. That's why we lost tonight; we didn't play the way we can."

Goal of the game

Nielsen was going right to left behind the Kings net when he spun and put the puck past the right post to Vanek for his first goal. "[Nielsen] and I have had some chemistry in the past, and in the last eight, nine games we've been good together," Vanek said. "Whether we're scoring one goal or none, we're just creating chances."

Save of the game

Coreau stopped Pearson's wrist shot from the left hash marks on the penalty shot to keep Detroit ahead 1-0. "Tanner Pearson is a good player, and he's got a lot of goals in this league," Coreau said. "I was ready for anything: deke, shot, whatever. It was good to get some momentum on our side."

Unsung performance of the game

Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb had a game-high six shots on goal, three hits and three blocked shots.

Highlight of the game

Athanasiou got behind the Kings defense, took a pass from Mantha in the neutral zone, and went backhand to forehand to beat Zatkoff past his blocker.

They said it

"Jeff Carter has been carrying this team for us, and it seems if he doesn't get a goal, or whatever it may be, no one steps up and fills that void. We have to start picking it up as a team." -- Kings forward Jordan Nolan
"Our defense was incredible. I made a save in the first, and it went to the right of me. I had no idea where it was. They tied up some sticks. There was a backdoor attempt in the third and another great stick by our defense." -- Red Wings goalie Jared Coreau

Need to know

The Red Wings power play is 0-for-53 on the road since Oct. 19. … Detroit forward Gustav Nyquist played in his 300th NHL game. … Kings forward Dustin Brown appeared in his 921st NHL game, tying Marcel Dionne for third in Kings history.

What's next

Red Wings: At the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; CSN-CA, FS-D+, NHL.TV)
Kings: Host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (4 p.m. ET; NHLN, FS-W, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV)