Marchessault Hat Trick Sinks Red Wings in Vegas
Detroit's losing skid reaches five games with a 5-3 loss to the defending champion Golden Knights
Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Detroit Red Wings fell 5-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights. The home team found its way through a chaotic, five-goal third period to victory on the strength of a Jonathan Marchessault hat trick. For Detroit, the defeat extends the current losing streak to a sobering, playoff-jeopardizing five games.
Despite the desperation the Red Wings carried into the evening's game, it was a poor start for the visitors, with the Golden Knights taking a 2-0 lead on goals from Pavel Dorofeyev and Marchessault in the opening 15 minutes. However, Michael Rasmussen scored by tipping a Moritz Seider shot past Adin Hill to salvage something positive from the first period.
Detroit entered the third trailing 2-1, but J.T. Compher scored on another deflection, this time a power play goal 2:44 into the period to tie the game. Just past the midpoint of the period, Brayden McNabb put Vegas back out in front, but Shayne Gostisbehere answered that goal 37 seconds layer to tie it back up at three.
Detroit had an outstanding three-fold opportunity to take the lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. First, Lucas Raymond nearly tucked home a forehand-backhand power move; then, Jeff Petry nearly buried the rebound; finally, Andrew Copp had a chance to finish it off, but none of the three looks found their way home.
With 2:44 to play in regulation, the Knights took a 4-3 lead when Marchessault netted his second of the night by burying the rebound of a Jack Eichel wrist shot that James Reimer had turned aside. Rasmussen appeared frustrated and in pain after a taking a shot to his glove earlier in the sequence; he went straight down the tunnel and back to the dressing room after the play.
Marchessault would complete his hat trick with 1:07, hitting the empty net from the neutral zone to clinch the 5-3 result and extend Detroit's losing streak to five. It was a valiant effort from the Red Wings, but as Andrew Copp said after the team's loss in Arizona last night, "We're not [at the right moment] for taking the positives. We need points right now."
With the loss, Detroit falls to 33-24-6. That's two points up on the Islanders for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but New York has played two fewer games.