March 4, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Mason Appleton (22) skates with the puck during Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Image The Detroit Red Wings squandered an opportunity to score two valuable points on Wednesday. They will try to avoid making the same mistake Friday when they host the Florida Panthers.
Detroit was up 3-1 against road-weary Vegas, playing its third game in four days. The Golden Knights scored twice in the final nine minutes of regulation to tie the game, then won 4-3 in overtime during a power play.
“I thought we had two games,” Red Wings coach Todd MacLellan said. “The first half was great. We were aggressive, direct, had a lot of pucks going to the net and were able to maintain some O-zone time.
“Then later in the game we started pulling up and playing cross ice too much. We didn’t go to the net once. They defended well, they defended easier than in the first half and that bit us again. A two-goal lead, you can’t sit back. We thought about checking our way to the point and it ended up costing us. So we learned our lesson.”
All of Detroit’s goals came in even situations in the first half. The Red Wings came up empty-handed on four power play opportunities.
“There wasn’t the urgency needed to succeed,” McLellan said.
The Red Wings disappointed a large home crowd in their first game at Little Caesars Arena since Jan. 31.
“We’ve got to be able to finish the game,” Detroit forward Lucas Raymond said. “We’re up 3-1 in the third period, so we should be able to do that. We didn’t do that. We know it better than anyone that the end of the year is so tight, and every point is a big point.”
Detroit will face the Panthers for the second time in a four-game season series. In the first matchup on October 15, the Red Wings’ Mason Appleton scored twice to give his team a 4-1 win at home.
The Panthers arrived in Detroit having lost four straight and nine of their last 11 games. They will be playing for the second time in a row, as Florida dropped a 4-2 decision to the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
After falling behind 3-0 early in the third quarter, Florida scored two goals to go down by one point, but was unable to complete the comeback. Gustav Forsling’s equalizer with 2 minutes and 55 seconds remaining was overturned due to goalkeeper interference.
This is unfamiliar territory for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who sit just next to last place in the Eastern Conference.
“We’re not going to change the grip here,” Florida coach Paul Morris said after the game. “We talk about how we spend our days. These days are hard to handle. We still have to be good professionals and work.
“I thought, as you can see from the game tonight, they didn’t give up in the third period and there was no resignation about the final score. They fought hard and stayed in there and supported each other. I think we’re struggling a little bit with the puck right now and have some confidence issues. That’s something we’ll have to work on.”
–Field level media
