Golden Knights One Game From Checkmate; ‘They Have The City On Its Shoulders’
By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
Downtown Los Angeles — This time, Vegas Golden Knights fans turned the tables.
Tired of visiting team’s fans filling seats a T-Mobile Arena, hundreds of VGK fans followed Interstate 15 to Southern California and invaded the LA Kings’ Staples Center to scream with delight for the Golden Knights’ 3-2 win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ round 1.
About 2,000 Golden Knights fans were in the building Sunday night, several Vegas fans estimated. Game attendance in Staples Center was 18,484 (less than the 18,588 at T-Mobile Arena for game 2.)
“The players knew we were here and we wanted to bring a little of the fortress to them,” super-fan “Wolverine” Jason Griego told LVSportsBiz.com. “It’s absolutely crazy. It’s exciting. It’s story book.”
They have the city on its shoulders — Jason “Wolverine” superfan Griego
They fans belted out, “night,” in the Kings’ mammoth arena during the singing of the national anthem and made their presence known throughout the tight contest.
Two and a half hours later, they celebrated a 3-2 Golden Knights lead and the historic first-year NHL team now has a 3-0 lead in games in the first round over the battle-tested Kings. VGK’s Cody Eakin tied the score, 1-1, in the third and then crafty James Neal and William “Wild/Dollar Bill” Karlsson scored 21 seconds apart en route to the 3-2 victory tonight.
Golden Knights fans in the building ranged from UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez to the superfan, Griego.
Griego and his Golden Knights fan pals were discussing potential plans for Game 4 Tuesday night.
“It was overwhelming to see so many Golden Knights fans here. It was a surprise to see so many fans. There were a few thousand Knights fans here,” Griego said. “It’s great to see Las Vegas embrace hockey. The Kings fans are walking out sad. They know we’re the new kids on the block.”
While the Knights has Wolverine in LA, the Kings rolled out actor/funnyman Steve Carell to teach local Los Angeles fans how to sing, “Go, Kings, Go” chant.
Back in Las Vegas, watch parties ranged from the Knights’ Summerlin training center to the TopGolf venue to Station Casino.
For Las Vegas natives, the Golden Knights-mania brought back memories of the UNLV Rebels making a run to the Final Four in college basketball 41 years ago.
“This reminds me when I was growing up of the first time UNLV went to the Final Four in 1977 and you saw Rebels stuff everywhere,” native Liz Bash said.
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