DETROIT, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Brendan Shanahan scored twice and Curtis Joseph stopped 29 shots Tuesday night as the Detroit Red Wings extended their season-high unbeaten streak to nine games with a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Earlier this month, first-year coach Dave Lewis challenged the defending Stanley Cup champions to start the new year atop the Western Conference. Detroit did its coach one better. By going 10-1-4 in December, the Red Wings assured they will finish 2002 exactly where they started it -- atop the entire NHL.

Shanahan did his scoring in the third period, after Detroit used three deflections to take the lead.

Sean Avery tipped a puck past goaltender Brent Johnson with 6:47 to go in the first period and linemates Darren McCarty and Kirk Maltby did the same in the second to help the Red Wings improve to 6

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3 in their last nine games.

In his first season with Detroit, Joseph gave up a power-play goal to Keith Tkachuk 4:20 into the opening period but nothing else. He gave up 24 goals while going 8-1-2 in December.

Joseph gave the Red Wings an anxious moment during a Blues' power play midway through the second period. He skated several feet out of his net to clear a loose puck but was hooked from behind by Doug Weight and lost control. St. Louis, however, was unable to get a shot through to the net.

Johnson, the current NHL Player of the Week, was pulled early in the third period after allowing four goals on 16 shots. The Blues had won four straight and were unbeaten in their previous five games.