'Tired' Golden Knights shutout by Red Wings

There appeared to be a positive vibe from the Vegas Golden Knights when they came onto the ice for the third period today in Detroit. 

They were trailing the Red Wings, 1-0, but expected to make a push to tie the game or take the lead. That push never came. 

Instead, the Golden Knights were shutout for the fourth time this season in a 3-0 loss. 

“I would’ve liked to see us score and even the game or just do something positive offensively,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Draw a penalty, get on the power play or just something to get us going.” 

After playing two games in a little over 24 hours, with their previous game against Buffalo ending in a shootout, the Golden Knights were chasing Detroit. Cassidy said his team was “tired.”

“We knew we were a tired hockey team, and I think they (Red Wings) knew we were a tired hockey team,” Cassidy said. “We were going to need a spark somewhere...we had a couple of opportunities we needed to finish on, and we didn’t.” 

Vegas had less than 20 shots for the second straight game, this time with 18.

“Not getting enough shots the last two games is something we need to get better at,” Reilly Smith said. “Sometimes that comes by playing a little bit faster, working for each other and working away from the puck.” 

Detroit didn’t make it easy for Vegas to get pucks on the net, blocking 16 Golden Knight shots. 

Albert Johansson opened up the scoring in the first period, making a move to the backhand to catch goalie Ilya Samsonov down and sliding.

In the third period, Lucas Raymond forced Mark Stone to cough up the puck. He’d maneuver through two Golden Knight defenders before scoring to make it a two-goal game. 

Marco Kasper put the game away, tipping a shot from Erik Gustafsson into the net. 

After a quick turnaround on the road, the Golden Knights are looking forward to the three days off between games. Their next game is against the Boston Bruins on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. 

“Anytime you get off the road and get a breather, it’s a good time,” Cassidy said. “When you come off a long trip and turn around and play, it’s difficult...Hopefully, we will take care of some family business tomorrow and Tuesday and be excited to play again on Thursday.”