Connelly’s late goal lifts Vegas Golden Knights to 2-1 win over Detroit Red Wings

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The Vegas Golden Knights scored once in the third period on Thursday to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 at Little Caesars Arena, with Trevor Connelly delivering the deciding goal at 1:42 remaining. Connelly, a 20-year-old rookie, received a pass from Jack Eichel at the blue line, toe-dragged Michael Rasmussen in the left circle, and beat Daniil Tarasov glove side with a wrist shot to break the tie.

Anton Johansson gave Detroit the early advantage in the third period, scoring at 2:02 after a sequence that began with Carter Mazur’s turnaround wrist shot from the left point. Mazur’s attempt missed the net, but the puck caromed off the end boards into the right circle, where Johansson finished with a shot that went in off Carter Hart’s glove.

Vegas responded quickly to even the score at 4:20 of the third period. Braeden Bowman, who had been beaten to the puck by Johansson earlier in Detroit’s scoring play, redeemed himself by taking a pass from Tomas Hertl and beating a screened Tarasov glove side from the right face-off dot.

Hart made 25 saves for the Golden Knights, and Tarasov turned aside 32 shots for the Red Wings in a game that featured a momentum shift after Johansson’s late-third-period breakthrough. The Golden Knights, improved to 11-5-2, won two straight with the victory, while Detroit fell to 7-7-3 and had lost two straight and three of their past four.

The Red Wings nearly created another scoring opportunity during a power play more than midway through the third period. Jeremy Lauzon cleared the puck out of the crease before Viktor Arvidsson could tap it over the line, preserving Vegas’ narrow lead after the teams traded goals early in the period.