David Becker / Associated Press
Officials break up a fight between Detroit Red Wings left wing J.T. Compher (37) an Vegas Golden Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault (81) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Saturday, March 9, 2024 | 9:59 p.m.
Jonathan Marchessault scored three times, including the go-ahead goal with 2:44 left, to help lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
It was the third hat trick of the season for Marchessault and sixth of his career. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner from Vegas’ Stanley Cup championship last year leads the Knights with career-high 35 goals in the final year of his contract that pays $5 million this season.
Marchessault completed the hat trick with an empty-netter with 1:07 left.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brayden McNabb also scored for the Knights. Jack Eichel had three assists and Noah Hanifin and Ivan Barbashev each had two. Adin Hill stopped 23 shots.
Michael Rasmussen had a goal and assist for the Red Wings and J.T. Compher and Shayne Gostisbehere also scored. Moritz Seider and David Perron each had two assists, and James Reimer made 31 saves.
Both teams entered on four-game losing streaks, hanging on to a wild-card spot in the playoffs and without their captains — Detroit’s Dylan Larkin is out at least two more weeks with a lower-body injury and Vegas’ Mark Stone is gone for at least the regular season with a lacerated spleen.
Vegas also was 2-8-1 in its previous 11 games.
The Knights were all over the Red Wings in the first period, outshooting them 19-7. They took a 2-0 lead on goals from Dorofeyev and Marchessault. Dorofeyev, who had been out since late January with an upper-body injury, was activated from injured reserve Saturday. Marchessault’s 33rd goal came on a pass from Jack Eichel on a 2-on-1.
But just when it looked as if Vegas would take that two-goal into the first intermission, the Red Wings scored with 27.3 seconds remaining on a redirect of Seider’s shot from the point by Rasmussen.
It remained 2-1 through the second period even though Vegas kept up its offensive intensity, outshooting the Red Wings 32-13 overall.
Detroit tied it 2:44 into the third period when Seider again shot from the point, this time his shot tipped into the net by Compher. Defensemen for both teams then traded goals, McNabb for Vegas and Gostisbehere for the Red Wings.
Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud went to the locker room midway through the third, and Rasmussen left toward the end of the period.
