Golden Knights Struggle Against Arizona Coyotes, Losing, 5-2, Before Crowd of 18,212; Gallant: ‘We Played A Soft Game’

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

LVSportsBiz.com photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell  

 

It’s been a choppy season for the Vegas Golden Knights. A big shootout win last week over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team with the best record in the NHL. Then a win over Detroit.

 

Only to return to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night to blow a late-game 3-2 lead to the Columbus Blue Jackets, losing, 4-3. Then Tuesday night, it was a frustrating 5-2 loss to the VGK’s fellow desert division rival, the Arizona Coyotes, on home ice after the score was tied, 2-2, entering the third stanza. The Knights are 31-23-4, stuck on 66 points, good for third in the Pacific Division behind surging San Jose and Calgary.

 

“I didn’t like the way we played,” VGK coach Gerard Gallant said after the game at his news conference. “I thought we played about 10 minutes of real good hockey tonight.”

 

Gallant was also asked what his message was for the players after the loss and he was in no mood to share that with the public, telling sports reporters: “You think I’m going to tell you what I said? That’s none of your business.”

 

VGK forward Jonathan Marchessault put it this way, “We didn’t battle hard enough. We were in a good spot going into the third, with 2-2. We just didn’t battle. We weren’t good enough.”

 

And Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt, who tied the score at 2-2 late in the second period after Brandon Pirri scored to make it, 2-1, in the second stanza, wrapped it up this way: “Not showing up at home, not finishing games.”

 

The Coyotes scored three goals in the final period for the 5-2 win.  Not even crowd igniter Cameron Hughes, a fan favorite for his enthusiastic dancing style and T-shirt tosses into the crowd, could not deliver a W for the Golden Knights.

 

Gallant after the game: “There was no passion in our game. There was no aggressive forecheck in our game. We played a soft game, and, in my opinion, we gave them three goals from our mistakes.”

 

 

The Golden Knights enjoyed their usual east sellout, with attendance clocking in at 18,212, below the average attendance of 18,304 heading into the game. After the loss, the average attendance for Golden Knights games is 18,300 — well above the official capacity of 17,367. The Golden Knights, after 27 home dates, are filling the Big Ice House on the Strip at 105.4 percent of capacity. That’s the third highest capacity percentage in the NHL, with the VGK only trailing Chicago (106.4 percent capacity) and Minnesota (105.5 percent).

 

For a Tuesday night when the opponent is the Coyotes , the 18,200 plus crowd  is still very impressive.

 

But it was still the fourth straight home loss for a Stanley Cup finalist team that was known for its wins on home ice during season one.

VGK emerging star Alex Tuch.

 

 

 

Here’s Matthew James Smiejan, Jr., with his trusty Golden Knights belt — which makes him a popular guy with the VGK fan selfie seekers.

 

At least Lee Orchard, the Las Vegas resident who plays the knight of the Vegas Golden Knights, gave a nice shoutout to LVSportsBiz.com during the march before the game. Check it here.

 

The Golden Knights play the Toronto Maple Leafs at T-Mobile Arena Thursday night.

 

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