Recap: Missed chances haunt Red Wings in 5-2 loss to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- More often than not in the NHL, surrendering five goals in 60 minutes is not going to give most teams a good chance to win.
Playing their fourth game in six days, the Detroit Red Wings (8-9-2) couldn't find their rhythm and fell to the Vegas Golden Knights (10-7-0), 5-2, on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

"The thing about good defensive hockey is that it really should be called 'good winning hockey,'" Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "It has nothing to do with being one way or the other. The only way anybody wins in this league is with good defense."

It was a unique start to the second and final meeting of the season between these squads. With 15:46 to play in the first period, Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud collided with Detroit's left goalpost as he placed the puck in the back of the net. To the Red Wings' advantage, the play was called no goal on the ice and after a video review.
While both teams were held scoreless in the opening frame, Detroit outshot Vegas, 13-8. But after more than 23 minutes of scoreless hockey, the script flipped.
Vegas struck first 3:31 into the second period when defenseman Nicolas Hauge, assisted by winger Evgenii Dadonov and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, blasted a loose puck past Red Wings goalie Thomas Greiss to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 advantage.
Just 2:25 later, Vegas captain Mark Stone set up Whitecloud for the score, which made it a 2-0 game.
Detroit cut Vegas' lead in half with 8:33 left in the second period. After a swarm in front of Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner, Detroit winger Givani Smith scored his first goal and notched his first point of the season, which put the Red Wings back into the game and only down, 2-1. Detroit captain Dylan Larkin, who returned to the lineup after a false positive COVID-19 test, was credited with the assist.

"There were areas tonight where if we were cleaner and talked a little more, we could have got out early," Red Wings center Sam Gagner said. "Once you don't get out early, they start buzzing. We need to do a better job of containing it."
Whitecloud proved to be a thorn in the side of the Red Wings defense on Thursday. With 7:26 remaining in the second frame, he notched his second goal of the evening with a shot from the blue line off a faceoff win to put the Golden Knights back up by two scores, 3-1. It was Whitecloud's first career two-goal game.
With 53 seconds left in the second, the horn sounded again for Vegas when Canton, Mich., native and Golden Knights forward Paul Cotter scored off an assist from winger Keegan Kolesar to cap off Vegas' four-goal period, which sent Detroit into the locker room down, 4-1.
To start the third period, Blashill replaced Greiss with goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, but the results were much of the same. At 14:41 in the third period, Vegas winger Reilly Smith blasted a backhander past Nedeljkovic to put the Golden Knights up, 5-1.
With 5:08 left in the game, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider took a puck to the side of his left knee and struggled to get off the ice. Seider went to the Detroit dressing room and didn't return.
Detroit's fourth line added another goal late after forward Joe Veleno put one in the back of the net with 1:26 to play in the third period to wrap up the scoring. The goal was Veleno's second tally of the season.

Thursday's final was the third straight game the Red Wings have surrendered at least five goals.
Up next, the Red Wings look to snap their losing streak with a visit to Gila River Arena to face the Arizona Coyotes. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m., with broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network.