Anthony Mantha may not have played his best game, but he delivered when it counted most.
With just 30.9 seconds left in regulation, Mantha scored to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 comeback win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
“I didn’t have the best game, but I was out there at the right moment to get the game-winner,” Mantha said. “The important thing is our team got the two points.”
Mantha received a pass off the boards from Robby Fabbri, broke in alone on the right wing, and fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Vegas goaltender Malcolm Subban. The goal was Mantha’s 11th of the season.
“My passing wasn’t great tonight,” Mantha admitted. “So I was definitely shooting, and it found the far post and went in.”
Andreas Athanasiou and defenseman Madison Bowey also scored for the Red Wings, while Jonathan Bernier made 17 saves to secure Detroit’s second straight win.
Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty scored for Vegas, with Subban stopping 16 shots. The Golden Knights are now 1-2-3 over their last six games.
“We played great for 55 minutes and then just fell asleep for the last five,” said Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant. “Before they scored, they had three good chances we basically gave them.”
Bowey tied the game at 2 with 9:03 left in the third period, scoring from inside the right circle while being hauled down by William Carrier. It was Bowey’s first goal of the season.
Pacioretty had put Vegas ahead 2-1 with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 9:04 of the second period, marking his sixth goal. It was part of a tightly contested middle frame that saw only five total shots—three for Vegas and two for Detroit.
Marchessault opened the scoring for the Golden Knights with 3:33 left in the first period, converting Reilly Smith’s cross-ice pass on a 2-on-1 break. It was Marchessault’s fourth goal of the season.
Athanasiou tied it up just before the end of the first period with a power-play goal, blasting a one-timer from the right circle for his second goal of the season.
Game Notes:
- Vegas completed their four-game road trip, which included a 5-2 loss to Washington on Saturday.
- Detroit rookie Taro Hirose was a healthy scratch for the second straight game.
Next Up:
- Golden Knights: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
- Red Wings: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.