RECAP: Low-scoring affair ends in 2-1 loss for Red Wings against Golden Knights

DETROIT -- In a tight-checking clash where nothing found the back of the net until the third period, the Detroit Red Wings lost 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

“We kept a Stanley Cup-caliber team to one,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “Made one mistake at the end, and it’s in the net. I thought we got real good goaltending. I thought everybody found ways to contribute. It takes a little bit more for us to score goals. We would’ve had that chance and maybe not finished, but we had some looks and it’s disappointing, but we got to regroup and move on.”

Netminder Daniil Tarasov made 32 saves for the Red Wings (7-7-3, 17 points), while goalie Carter Hart stopped 25 shots for the Golden Knights (11-5-2, 24 points).

“I think it was a great night for the goaltenders,” Moritz Seider said. “I think they came up with some big saves. I think there were real good opportunities on both sides. A little bit unlucky, I think, on the power play because I feel like we moved it very well and created a lot of chances. I think we’re just one play away from scoring there, and that can be the changing point of such games.”

Vegas pressed hard and dictated play to start the first period, but Tarasov was dialed in from puck drop — the 27-year-old goalie turned aside all 14 shots he faced in the opening stanza, including a left-pad save on Ivan Barbashev’s partial breakaway with 1:52 left.

“I thought he was outstanding,” McLellan said of Tarasov’s night overall. “It’s a lot like the Tampa game (on Tuesday), where their best players start to feel good. They get touches and can get creative in space early in a game, and now they’re rolling. We got out of the first period OK. I thought we played really good in the second period.”

Emmitt Finnie showed off his speed and nearly broke the deadlock for Detroit just 1:41 into the middle frame, but his shot on a short-handed breakaway went just wide of the net. The Red Wings and Golden Knights swapped chances over the next 18-plus minutes, but neither could get one past the opposing goalies before departing the ice for the second intermission.

“It is sometimes hard for a player that is that fast and closing in on a goalie…it happens so fast,” McLellan said. “There’s one guy in the world, I think, that can do it at that speed consistently, and he plays in Edmonton. So, Emmitt’s getting some good experience.”

The scoreboard finally changed early in the third period, with each squad finding the back of the net within the first five minutes. Anton Johansson struck first at 2:02, pouncing on a Carter Mazur shot that caromed off the end boards to the bottom of the right face-off circle and quickly depositing it to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. Sheldon Dries also picked up an assist on Johansson’s second goal of the season.

“I said to (Mazur) I’m going towards the back post,” Johansson said. “He sent the puck, I don’t know if it was on purpose, but it bounced good and (I) found the back of the net.”

A short time later, Victor Olofsson and Tomas Hertl worked the puck up the ice together before the latter passed it to Braeden Bowman at the top of the right face-off circle. There, Bowman snapped a shot past a screened Tarasov to tie it 1-1 at 4:20.

With 1:42 left in regulation, Trevor Connelly took a pass from Jack Eichel at Detroit’s blue line and used a toe-drag to create some space then converted a wrist shot to make it 2-1.

Unfortunately for the Red Wings, their ensuing 6-on-5 push didn’t produce an equalizer.

“There are mistakes all the time out there,” Johansson said. “We just have to back each other up. We learn from it, and we bounce back against Colorado.”

NEXT UP: Detroit will kick off a four-game road swing on Saturday night, when it visits the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on the Golden Knights

“They defend first. They’re heavy. They take a lot away on the boards in their zone. They got the goaltending when they needed it, but I thought both teams played a patient game. We made the last mistake.”

Seider on Tarasov

“Great plays. Obviously, huge saves whenever we needed him and it’s kind of frustrating not to get the win for him.”

Seider on what needs to tighten up in late-game situations

“We just got to be better. I think that’s pretty simple. There are many aspects of the game that we need to focus on, but I think we just got to be real present in the moment and just have got to want it more than the other team.”

Johansson on how Thursday’s loss feels

“It’s hard. I think we played a good game. I think the second half of the first period, I think, was ours. I think the second period was ours. I think we started the third a little bit sloppy, but we got into it. We got a goal. It’s hard. Just got to bounce back.”