The lack of goal-scoring depth came back to the fore for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, and it bit them in a 2-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Red Wings have 15 players on their active roster with two goals or fewer this season. When the big guns aren’t firing, when the rest of the team is mostly firing blanks, it usually spells doom for Detroit.

Trevor Connelly’s goal with 1:42 left in regulation was the difference on the scoreboard. Connelly danced around Wings forward Michael Rasmussen in the Detroit zone, then snapped a low shot past Wings goalie Daniil Tarasov.

After two scoreless periods, Detroit finally opened the scoring. Sheldon Dries won a faceoff in the Vegas zone. Carter Mazur banked a wrist shot off the back boards behind the Golden Knights’ net.

Defenseman Anton Johansson, finding an open lane, pinched down low and blasted a shot past Vegas goalie Carter Hart.

Vegas tied it when Braeden Bowman’s high shot eluded Tarasov.

Takeaways

The assist by Dries was his first point with the Red Wings, and his first point in the NHL since March 31, 2023, when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Mazur has three points (1-2-3) in his past three games.

Detroit forward Andrew Copp’s next point will be his 350th in the NHL. Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk is one goal away from 150 as an NHLer. Detroit has lost four in a row to Vegas (0-3-1).

Key Moment

The Red Wings failed to score during a pair of third-period power-play opportunities.

Key Stat

The Red Wings have scored two goals or fewer in three of Tarasov’s five starts this season.

Up Next

The Red Wings are back on the road on Saturday to face the Colorado Avalanche. Game time is 9 p.m. It’s the first game of a four-game road trip for Detroit.