Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Blog: Golden Knights fall in overtime to Red Wings

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Steve Marcus

Detroit Red Wings right wing Anthony Mantha (39) celebrates with teammate Dylan Larkin (71) after scoring in overtime for a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Updated Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 9:54 p.m.

Overtime didn't take long.

Detroit's Anthony Mantha scored 19 seconds into overtime Saturday, and the Golden Knights fell 3-2 to the Red Wings at T-Mobile Arena.

Reilly Smith turned the puck over to Dylan Larkin right in front of the Vegas net, and Larkin handed it to Mantha for the winner.

Shots on goal finished in a 30-30 tie.

Each side scores in third as regulation ends in tie

Turns out 60 minutes were not enough. The Golden Knights and Red Wings each scored in the third period and sent the game to overtime in a 2-2 tie.

Even though Detroit was on the power play midway through the third, Reilly Smith, as he often does short-handed, looked as comfortable as ever. He intercepted a poorly advised pass and poked it into the neutral zone. There was no one in a white jersey ahead of him, and he raced all the way down the ice with only Jimmy Howard to beat and did so on the backhand to give Vegas its first lead of the game at 10:11.

The lead was short-lived. Still on the power play, the Red Wings tightened up their passing and Andreas Athanasiou slid it to Anthony Mantha, who blasted a one-timer by Malcolm Subban from the right circle to re-tie the game 65 seconds after Smith's tally.

Regulation ended with the Golden Knights leading in shots on goal, 30-29.

Golden Knights even score in second

The Golden Knights found their sea legs late in the second period, and a Cody Eakin goal evened the game at 1-1 after two periods with the Red Wings.

The second period started in much of the same way that the first did for Vegas. The shot totals weren't as drastic, but the Golden Knights had just as difficult of a time getting out of their zone, and 12 minutes in Detroit led in shots on goal 7-3 in the period.

But it appeared all Vegas needed was a power play. The Golden Knights didn't score with the extra man, but with the second unit still on the ice as the penalty expired, the Golden Knights got on the board.

Nate Schmidt had the initial shot, Ryan Reaves deflected the puck in goalie Jimmy Howard's pad, and Cody Eakin was there to pick up the rebound for his career-best 20th of the season and even the game at 14:43.

The Red Wings led in shots on goal, 19-18.

Knights trail early

The Golden Knights' sluggish start to Saturday's game cost them on the scoresheet, as the Red Wings scored early and Vegas trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.

The game couldn't have started much worse for Vegas. The Red Wings controlled the puck for the first six minutes of the game, firing the first seven shots on net and connecting on one of them

Shea Theodore tried to clear the puck out of the Vegas end, only to have it intercepted by Taro Hirose. He threw it to Andres Athanasiou, who didn't get all of it but gave Luke Glendening an open net to shoot at 3:06 into the game to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.

The Golden Knights woke up midway through the frame and started firing some good looks at Detroit's net. William Carrier, in his first game since Feb. 16, teamed up with Ryan Reaves, with each player giving the other a feed in front of the net.

Shots on goal were even at 9-9 after the first.

Pre-game

It's hard not to look at the Golden Knights' top line and come away thinking they can do no wrong.

William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith are the top three point-scorers among players who have spent the whole season in Vegas, have 22 combined points in their last three games, and will look to keep the hot streak going when the Golden Knights welcome the Detroit Red Wings to T-Mobile Arena at 7 p.m.

Smith thinks he knows the secret.

"Try not to think about it, I guess," he said. "We're creating a lot of offense, so when things are going like this, you try not to think too much about and just try to make sure you're still working hard and making it difficult on other teams.

Smith and Marchessault each had four points on Monday in San Jose, and Karlsson and Smith each went hat-trick hunting on Thursday against Winnipeg. It's a return to form for the best line in hockey from last season, and one coach Gerard Gallant is happy to see.

"They've played good hockey all year but now the puck is going in the net and they keep the offense going," Gallant said. "They're playing great for us."

That line may need to keep it rolling for Vegas to have success. Max Pacioretty left Thursday's game and has not returned to practice, leaving a hole in his line which featured Mark Stone and Paul Stastny. Alex Tuch is expected to fill the role Saturday, and may continue to do so until Pacioretty returns. The Golden Knights have not given a timetable for Pacioretty's recovery.

Meanwhile down the lineup, Vegas received some welcome news in the return of winger William Carrier, who has not played since Feb. 16. Carrier, who has a career-best eight goals this season, and figures to return to his usual spot on the fourth-line left wing alongside Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Reaves.

"Lot of speed, lot of physical play on the forecheck," Gallant said of Carrier's game. "Every time he plays, he really makes that line go."

Malcolm Subban will take the net tonight for the fourth-straight game. He is 3-0 in his last three starts with a 2.00 goals-against average and 9.23 save percentage.

Emerson's Prediction: Golden Knights 4, Red Wings 1

Season record for predictions: Keefer 5-5, Emerson 20-12

TV: AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760)

Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM

Betting line: Golden Knights minus-400, Red Wings plus-300; over/under: 6 (minus-110, minus-110)

Golden Knights (42-27-5) (23-10-4 home), third place, Pacific Division

Coach: Gerard Gallant (second season)

Points leader: Mark Stone (70)

Goals leader: Mark Stone (32)

Assists leader: Mark Stone (38)

Expected goalie: Malcolm Subban (2.89 gaa, .906 save percentage)

Red Wings (26-38-10) (12-20-5 road), seventh place, Atlantic Division; ninth place, Wild Card

Coach: Jeff Blashill (fourth season)

Points leader: Dylan Larkin (62)

Goals leaders: Andreas Athanasiou (28)

Assists leader: Dylan Larkin (35)

Expected goalie: Jimmy Howard (3.05 gaa, .908 save percentage)

Golden Knights expected lineup

Forwards

Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Alex Tuch, Paul Stastny, Mark Stone, Tomas Nosek, Cody Eakin, Ryan Carpenter, William Carrier, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Brayden McNabb, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Deryk Engelland, Nick Holden, Jon Merrill

Goalies

Maxime Lagace, Malcolm Subban

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