RECAP: Red Wings end homestand with 4-1 loss to Golden Knights

DETROIT --The Detroit Red Wings concluded a season-long five-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.

Vegas took the game's first lead just over a minute into the first period, then scored on the power play at 7:50 of the second. Oskar Sundqvist's man-advantage tally less than four minutes later made it a 2-1 game, but the Golden Knights answered with three unanswered goals, including a late empty-netter, to hand the Red Wings their third consecutive loss.
"We did a great job defending," captain Dylan Larkin said. "But they got timely goals and it kind of killed us."
Ville Husso made 21 saves for Detroit, which finished with a 2-2-1 record on the homestand but fell to 11-7-5 overall this season. Vegas improved its record to 18-7-1.
"Our margin for error is small to begin with just with who we are and where we're at," head coach Derek Lalonde said. "It's even less against real good teams."
NEXT UP: In addition to closing out the second half of a weekend back-to-back, the Red Wings will kick off a four-game road trip on Sunday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

SCORING SUMMARY

Vegas 1, Detroit 0 (1:04, 1st period)
Chandler Stephenson's spinning cross-ice pass bounced off Husso to Jack Eichel, who tucked the puck home to open the scoring on Saturday night.
Vegas 2, Detroit 0 (7:50, 2nd period)
From just above the left faceoff circle, Shea Theodore set up Jonathan Marchessault in the opposite circle for a quick wrister that beat Husso.
Detroit 1, Vegas 2 (11:37, 2nd period)
The Red Wings broke through when Dylan Larkin found Dominik Kubalik in the right faceoff circle. Kubalik threaded a pass to Sundqvist at the far post, whose initial shot was stopped by Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill. Sundqvist was able to recollect the loose puck, then slipped it past Hill from inside the Vegas crease on the power play. Sundqvist has recorded each of Detroit's last three goals dating back to the third period against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 30.

Vegas 3, Detroit 1 (16:32, 2nd period)
After exiting the penalty box, Phil Kessel got loose on a breakaway and scored his fifth goal of the season.
Vegas 4, Detroit 1 (17:00, 3rd period)
Reilly Smith's empty-netter secured the win for Vegas.

QUOTABLE

Lalonde on what he saw from his club against the Golden Knights
"Definitely a frustrating game in that there were just a couple plays out there that I think kind of defined the game a little bit."
Larkin on looking ahead to Sunday's game against Columbus
"It's just another one of those games where we're really close and it's not enough to get a result. It hurts, but we gotta switch focus and get ready to go tomorrow night because it's a back-to-back going into Columbus."