For more than 58 minutes on Thursday night, the Detroit Red Wings matched one of the NHL’s better teams. Then a single turnover decided it. Trevor Connelly scored with 1:42 left in regulation, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Red Wings, 2-1, at Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 5, 2026.
The loss was Detroit’s second in a row and dropped the Red Wings to 7-7-3, with 17 points, according to the team’s game recap on NHL.com. It was also their only home game in a seven-game stretch, The Associated Press noted, which means the next chance to fix a stalled offense comes on the road, beginning Saturday in Colorado.
Red Wings vs. Golden Knights recap: how the third period unfolded
Neither team scored through two periods. Detroit broke through 2:02 into the third, when defenseman Anton Johansson scored his second goal of the season after a Carter Mazur shot came off the end boards, according to NHL.com. Sheldon Dries picked up an assist, his first point as a Red Wing and his first NHL point since March 31, 2023, Detroit Hockey Now reported.
The lead lasted 2 minutes 18 seconds. At 4:20, Braeden Bowman beat a screened Daniil Tarasov, with assists to Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson. The game stayed tied until 18:18, when Connelly converted a pass from Jack Eichel after a Detroit giveaway. Detroit pulled Tarasov for an extra attacker late but could not find the tying goal.
Coach Todd McLellan framed the result in a sentence: his team “kept a Stanley Cup-caliber team to one” and “made one mistake at the end, and it’s in the net,” he said after the game, according to NHL.com.
Tarasov kept Detroit in the game
Tarasov made 32 saves on 34 shots, the kind of performance that usually earns a point. McLellan called him “outstanding,” and defenseman Moritz Seider credited the goaltender with “huge saves whenever we needed him,” NHL.com reported. At the other end, Carter Hart stopped 25 of 26 shots for Vegas.
Vegas, now 11-5-2, won its second straight game while playing the third stop of a four-game road trip, according to The AP.
Why the Red Wings’ scoring is the bigger concern
One goal on 26 shots fits a pattern. Detroit has scored two goals or fewer in three of Tarasov’s five starts, and 15 active Red Wings have two goals or fewer this season, according to Detroit Hockey Now. The team also went 0 for 2 on the power play in the third period, the outlet reported.
The lineup has been thinner than planned. The Red Wings suspended center Dylan Larkin last month, a move we explained when it happened, and ESPN’s injury report for Saturday’s game lists him as unavailable, along with forwards Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton and defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
Seider described the margin as small: the team is “just one play away from scoring,” he said, according to NHL.com. Johansson put it more plainly, saying the players have to back each other up and “bounce back against Colorado.”
There is also a recent history to overcome. The loss was Detroit’s fourth straight against Vegas, Detroit Hockey Now noted.
Key numbers from Thursday’s game
| Category | Red Wings | Golden Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 (Johansson) | 2 (Bowman, Connelly) |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 34 |
| Goaltender saves | Tarasov, 32 | Hart, 25 |
| Record after game | 7-7-3 (17 points) | 11-5-2 (24 points) |
What’s next: a four-game road trip
Detroit leaves home for four games in eight days, starting with an old rival. Times and TV listings below come from ESPN’s Red Wings schedule; all times are Eastern.
| Date | Opponent | Puck drop (ET) | National TV / stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | at Colorado Avalanche | 9 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | at St. Louis Blues | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | at Florida Panthers | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | at Tampa Bay Lightning | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Two individual milestones could come on the trip: Andrew Copp is one point from 350 in his NHL career, and Justin Faulk is one goal from 150, according to Detroit Hockey Now.
How to follow the road trip in 4 steps
- Before Saturday’s 9 p.m. puck drop in Denver, make sure you can sign in to ESPN+, which ESPN lists as the game’s streaming home.
- For Tuesday’s 8 p.m. game in St. Louis, tune to TNT or truTV, the national broadcasters ESPN lists.
- For the local TV feed of any game, check the Red Wings’ broadcast page or our guide to Detroit sports channels on game day.
- Missed a late start? Our Detroit scores page has the result the next morning.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Red Wings vs. Golden Knights game?
Vegas won, 2-1, on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena. Trevor Connelly scored the winning goal with 1:42 left in the third period.
Who scored for the Red Wings?
Defenseman Anton Johansson scored Detroit’s only goal at 2:02 of the third period, his second of the season. Sheldon Dries had an assist.
What is the Red Wings’ record?
After Thursday’s loss, the Red Wings are 7-7-3 with 17 points, according to NHL.com.
When do the Red Wings play next?
Detroit plays at Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+, according to ESPN. The team then visits St. Louis on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Thursday’s game showed both sides of this Red Wings team: goaltending and defense good enough to stay level with a contender, and an offense that cannot yet afford a single mistake. The road trip will show which side wins out.
Last updated Nov. 6, 2026. Sources: NHL.com (Detroit Red Wings), The Associated Press via CBS Sports, Detroit Hockey Now and ESPN.
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