By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
LVSportsBiz.com photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Playoff hockey in March.
After the Golden Knights handled division lightweights Anaheim and Vancouver in back-to-back weekend shutouts, the Pacific Division-leading big boys from Calgary came visiting the Big VGK Ice House Wednesday and there was a playoff feel to the Knights’ rugged 2-1 win over the Flames.
Two Knights defensemen scored the goals — 23-year-old Shea Theodore, who continued his hot play, and 36-year-old Deryk Engelland, who wristed the game-winner mid-way through the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock. LVSportsBiz.com caught up with Theodore at his locker after the game.
And Engelland, the team’s elder statesman, talked about the team staying aggressive after his goal gave the Knights the lead mid0way through period three.
And popular goalie Marc-Andre Fleury got into a showdown with the Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk and a staredown with the Calgary goaltender David Rittich at the end of the second period.
After the game, it was impossible to pose a question to Fleury with this scrum at his corner locker.
Theodore continued his hot play, with a goal in the first period.
I figured there was 18,400 in the arena and the announced attendance clocked in at 18,422. After 35 home dates, the Golden Knights are averaging 18,301 fans a game — good for filling the venue at 105.4 percent of capacity (tied with Minnesota for second in the NHL in attendance capacity behind Chicago at 106.8 percent of capacity.)
There was that scrum at Fleury’s locker after the game. After it cleared, he was as relaxed as ever.
The Flames’ fans travel well, so there were groups of Calgary faithful all around T-Mobile Arena Wednesday.
Here’s one Flames fan who underwent the conversion process of becoming a Golden Knights fan by handing over her Calgary jersey and donning a Knights sweater, while getting “knighted” by Lee Orchard, who plays the knights character for the VGK.
LVSportsBiz.com asked coach Gerard Gallant at his postgame presser what helped change the Golden Knights from losing seven of eight home games to winning the last five games.
Gallant said the team trading for forward Mark Stone was a catalyst in the turnaround.
The Golden Knights hit the road for three away games, including a game in Calgary, as the Pac-12 college basketball tournament takes over T-Mobile Arena.
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