Schmid makes 24 saves, Golden Knights shut out Red Wings

LAS VEGAS -- Akira Schmid made 24 saves for his first shutout with the Vegas Golden Knights in a 1-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

It was Schmid’s second NHL shutout; his first came with the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 25, 2023.

“Both goalies did a real good job. Ours was one shot better, right?” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He's generally given us a chance to win every time he's in there, and tonight was no different.”

Ivan Barbashev scored for the Golden Knights (7-2-3), who have won two of their past three.

“Tight games like that, they're always fun as a goalie because emotions are a little higher too,” Schmid said. “A little bit more pressure than other games if you're up 4-1 or 3-1. It was fun.”

John Gibson made 33 saves for the Red Wings (9-5-0), who have lost two of three.

“We played well. You've got to credit them,” Gibson said. “They make it hard to score. They block a lot of shots, they play well defensively. So, it's a hard-fought game. One shot is what it is.”

Barbashev gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 13:45 of the second period. He lifted the puck over Gibson off the rebound of Brandon Saad's shot.

Saad had a team-high seven shots on goal in 16:53 of ice time.

“I think getting shots, but also quality shots,” Saad said. “Finding the middle of the ice a little bit more, and pucks seem to bounce there and find my tape. So, a little bit of that and a little bit more of an aggressive mentality.”

Schmid preserved the 1-0 lead by making two saves on Alex DeBrincat at 3:03 of the third period. Schmid blocked the first shot with his glove before swatting away DeBrincat’s attempt on the rebound.

“He shot it very hard. Just popped off my glove right back at me,” Schmid said. “I was throwing my hand up and hoping I'm going to get it.”

Jeremy Lauzon looked to have scored his first goal with the Golden Knights at 15:06 of the third period, but Detroit challenged the play, and video review determined Brett Howden was offside when he lost control of the puck on the zone entry.

“Too bad the goal didn't count,” Cassidy said. “Happy with Jeremy. He was physical tonight, stayed out of trouble in terms of the penalty box. He played hard tonight, did a good job for us.”

Gibson stopped a pair of Saad shots at 17:25 to keep it a one-goal game.

“Gibson gave us an opportunity,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “We've got to get him a win, and you can’t do that unless you score one.”

Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin returned after missing 10 games with an undisclosed injury. He had three shots on goal in 22:40 of ice time.

“It was nice to be back on the lineup with the guys,” Hanifin said. “Whenever you're out for a long period of time like that, you've got to take that as an opportunity to work on certain things and make sure you're in shape and ready to go when you come back.”