PREVIEW: Red Wings resume road stretch out West, ready for Golden Knights on Saturday

LAS VEGAS -- Six days after clashing at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Red Wings and Vegas Golden Knights will square off at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.

Puck drop for the final matchup of the season between Detroit (32-30-6; 70 points) and Vegas (40-20-8; 88 points) is set for 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT, with TV broadcast coverage airing exclusively on ABC/ESPN+ and radio coverage on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The Red Wings put together a strong effort against the Golden Knights on Sunday, blanking them, 3-0.

After beginning its four-game road trip with a 4-1 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Detroit now ventures out West, where it’ll also play a back-to-back set against the Utah Hockey Club and Colorado Avalanche on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, following Saturday’s game in Vegas.

“This isn’t a walk-in-the-park trip for our club,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “Vegas is a tough building to play in. Just the energy and that seventh-man factor, similar to what we have in Detroit, but it’s full of energy. They play well in that building. They’ll have some players back and I’m sure they’ll be much more energized than what they were [in Detroit].”

Keeping pace in the Eastern Conference’s Wild-Card race remains the goal for the Red Wings, who enter Saturday four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second Wild-Card spot.

And for players like Austin Watson, who was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday morning, playing meaningful contests is an opportunity he fully embraces.

“These hockey games are really fun to be a part of,” said Watson, who’s appeared in two games (Oct. 14 and Oct. 30) with Detroit this season. “It’s fun pushing with the group to make the playoffs and really bear down over the last month or so. It’s great to be here.”

With more than 500 career NHL games under his belt, Watson said focusing on the task at hand is all that the Red Wings can control at this stage of the season.

“You can’t get too hung up on the highs and the lows of how everything is going,” Watson said. “This team is a great example. Those [good and bad stretches] happen. You can’t wallow in it or get too high either. You just have to be consistent in your game and the way you approach each day.”

Dropping four of their last five games before defeating the Boston Bruins, 5-1, on Thursday, the Golden Knights currently sit at the top of the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. Vegas has also been very impressive on home ice this season, owning a 25-7-3 record.

Jack Eichel, who recorded two assists against Boston, leads the Golden Knights in assists (61) and points (82), while captain Mark Stone has the second-most points with 58 (17 goals, 41 assists). Third on the club’s scoring leaderboard is Tomas Hertl, who has 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists).

Goalie Adin Hill made 18 saves in Thursday’s win, improving to 25-11-5 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .907 save percentage this season.

“We’re going to have to get off to a good start and we need everybody on board,” McLellan said about the keys to Saturday’s game for his club. “I know that’s a cliché, but it’s as simple as that.”