Red Wings hang on to beat Golden Knights 3-2

There are a number of NHL rinks that the Detroit Red Wings don’t look forward to visting. However, when they stay in Vegas, they make things happen.

Detroit hung on for a much-needed 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. With the win, the Red Wings are 3-1 all-time in four games at T-Mobile Arena.

Detroit was the first visiting team to ever win a game in the rink when the Red Wings beat the Golden Knights 6-3 on October 13, 2017. And after Thursday, the Wings are the most recent visiting team to win there. Overall, the Red Wings are now 4-2 in their last six games against Vegas.

Late night Joey V snipes! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/qYRPtTtqiT

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 20, 2023

The victory over the Pacific Division-leading Knights enables Detroit to come home with three points from the club’s three-game road trip (1-1-1).

“Anytime you go on the road, you want as many points as games,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “Then it’s a solid road trip.”

The win also is keeping the Wings on the cusp of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. With 46 points, Detroit is 12th in the East, six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, holders of the second Wild Card postseason position.

Similar Pattern For Red Wings, Different Outcome

Thursday’s game began playing out in similar fashion to Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Arizona Coyotes. Detroit opened the scoring in the first period when Lucas Raymond was converting a cross-crease feed from captain Dylan Larkin. It was the second straight game that Detroit opened the scoring and the ninth time in 10 games that the Golden Knights were falling behind 1-0.

Detroit was the dominant team during the opening 20 minutes, playing solid hockey at both ends of the rink. But the Red Wings were wasting that performance when Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo scored on a point shot in the final minute of the opening frame.

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It was also 1-1 at Arizona and then Detroit jumped ahead 3-1. That formula was being followed again on Thursday. In the second period, Dominik Kubalik scored a power-play goal, and then Joe Veleno snapped a quick wrist shot home for a 3-1 advantage.

That’s the way it stayed until the dying moments of regulation time. With Vegas goalie Adin Hill on the bench for an extra attacker, William Karlsson beat Ville Husso to narrow Detroit’s advantage to one goal.

Husso made 33 saves to win for the third time in his last five starts.