Golden Knights run into reality check against Red Wings, losing 6-3

By Jesse Granger

Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 | 11:40 p.m.

The first three games seemed all too easy for the Golden Knights, as they became the first 3-0 expansion team in NHL history.

It was only a matter of time until the team had its “welcome to the NHL” moment. That moment came against the Detroit Red Wings Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Symbolically, it came early in the third period when a dead octopus was vaulted from the stands onto the ice. It’s an NHL tradition, and the Red Wings fans (who were immediately escorted from the arena) gave the Golden Knights an octopus baptism of sorts, following a game-tying goal by Anthony Mantha.

From that point, the Red Wings shelled the Golden Knights with three straight goals to run away with a 6-3 win, handing Vegas its first loss in franchise history.

“In the first three games we were doing the right thing more often than not, and I think we got away from that in the third night,” the Golden Knights' David Perron said. “We need to be better when we have a lead. Maybe we got away with it when we were up 5-1 on Arizona and we thought maybe we’d get away with it again tonight, but we didn’t.”

Prior to Friday night everything went right for Vegas, but it had to end eventually.

In the second period Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt watched Detroit’s Darren Helm crush Luca Sbisa into the boards. In retaliation, Schmidt sprinted over and crushed Helm on the following possession.

The problem was Helm slyly pushed the puck away just before the hit, right to Henrik Zetterberg who walked in and put the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for the goal.

“I overstepped my position there to go for the hit,” Schmidt said. “I think I just need to keep my emotions in check. Especially that play in the second period. That can’t happen.”

It was one of many mistakes by the Golden Knights, but it’s one coach Gerard Gallant can live with.

“Nate’s mistake there was he tried to do too much. He tried to make a big hit and unfortunately for us the puck squirted to the guy that was on the breakaway,” Gallant said. “I’m not going to fault Nate for competing and battling hard. I like the way he’s playing and battling.”

Later in the period Schmidt again answered the bell, tackling Justin Abdelkader into the boards after the Red Wing got physical with Fleury.

“Fleury is a part of our team if not the biggest, and he’s got to be in the game in order for us to have success in this league,” Schmidt said. “We have to make sure that we keep guys away from him because we’re going to need him to go anywhere this year.”

The Golden Knights answered Detroit’s physicality but were baited into making mistakes that led to odd-man rushes that the Red Wings capitalized on.

“We were trying to do to much,” Gallant said. “Guys don’t want to turn the puck over but when we got behind we tried to make some plays. They went the other way, and they got some breakaways and some two-on-ones and they’re a pretty skilled team and took advantage.”

Zetterberg appeared to toy with the Golden Knights at times en route to a one-goal, three-assist night, and Gusav Nyquist added two goals himself for the Red Wings.

In the third period the Red Wings appeared to have control of the game, up two goals, when Tomas Tatar hit Vegas forward Erik Haula below the waist. Haula immediately picked himself off the ice and dropped his gloves.

Tatar got the better of the first fight in Golden Knights franchise history, but Haula sent a message that he, or the team, will not be bullied.

“Erik is a competitive guy and he’s not going to take any crap,” Schmidt said. “I think that’s kind of our M.O. We aren’t going to take anything from any other team, but we just have to clean up our mistakes.”