By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
LVSportsBiz.com photos by Daniel Clark
It all began so well for the Vegas Golden Knights’ home-opener Thursday evening.
There was Brian Killingsworth, the VGK’s chief marketing officer, looking oh so suave in a Golden Knights blazer that was selling retail for a cool $250. It was part of the VGK premium collection.
A Cirque acrobat dropped slowly from the T-Mobile Arena rafters to help start the game, which featured the unveiling of the 2018 Western Conference Champions and 2017-18 Pacific Division Champions banners.
And good ol’ Carnell Johnson conjured up memories of the sterling 2018 postseason and Stanley Cup Finals appearance with his national anthem performance.
It was a record regular season crowd of 18,555 with only a small share of Flyer fans in the Big Ice House on the Strip. They watched feisty Jonathan Marchessault open the game’s scoring with a wicked wrister thanks to assists by defenseman Jon Merrill and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury of all people and the Golden Knights led 1-0.
But then the game collapsed for the home team and the Philadelphia Flyers poured in five consecutive goals and came away with a 5-2 victory on VGK home ice just like they did in February here at T-Mobile Arena a week after Philly won the Super Bowl.
The disheartening loss came after the Golden Knights created a carpet of stars showing player names and numbers leading across the plaza to T-Mobile Arena. Check out the passageway for the players and team execs.
Coach Gerard Gallant was disappointed in his team’s performance, explaining the VGK were too soft on defense and “played too loose in the neutral zone.” Just “too much space” for the Flyers to work their offense, he said.
Fans came away disappointed, too, with only a Western Conference Champions flag giveaway to cheer them up by game’s end.
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Not even fan favorite Cameron Hughes, the fan igniter, could deliver a VGK victory. The next home game is Oct. 16 when the Buffalo Sabres come to town.
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