Golden Knights Show Documentary — Valiant — Before VGK-Flames Game Sunday; Knights Snap Losing Streak With 6-0 Win Over Calgary Before 18,083

November 17, 2019November 17, 2019 Alan Snel Bill Foley, Kerry Bubolz, Max Pacioretty, Nate Schmidt, Paul Stastny, William Karlsson

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

LVSportsBiz.com photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

About 2,000 Vegas Golden Knights fans got an emotional look back at the franchise’s historic season one when the team showed the 93-minute documentary, Valiant, at T-Mobile Arena before Sunday’s 4 p.m. game with the Calgary Flames.

It was a nice summary of that inaugural season, which spanned the expansion draft, the horrific mass shooting on the Strip, the team’s role in healing the traumatized city and the run to the Stanley Cup final in 2017-18.

The team won the hearts of fans across the country in that inaugural season in 2017-18 with the collection of players that were unwanted by their previous NHL clubs.

As Foley put it, “Everyone got a second chance with us.”

Some of the most emotional parts of the documentary were the comments and interviews of VGK staffers in the aftermath of the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting that claimed 58 lives and injured more than 500 others.

The documentary included scenes from the franchise’s Oct. 10, 2017 inaugural home game a mere nine days after the Oct. 1 mass killing that left Las Vegans upset, sorrowful and confused.

The 58 seconds of silence before that Oct. 10 game at T-Mobile Arena to remember the lives of each of the 58 victims will last forever in Las Vegas.

“I hope I don’t have to hear that type of deafening silence ever again,” said Jonny Greco, the Knights’ former vice president for events and entertainment who has since taken a new job with Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Golden Knights’ play against the Flames Sunday before 18,083 fans was also a reminder of that season one as the VGK used their speed and counter-attacks to defeat Calgary, 6-0, before 18,083 fans.

Defenseman Nate Schmidt, who recorded four assists, discussed the role of speed and transition hockey for the Golden Knights.

Wild Bill Karlsson scored a transition goal in period one, Paul Stastny notched a goal on a wrist shot in period two and Max Pacioretty scored on a wrister in period three to make it, 3-0.

Cody Eakin then flipped the puck into the net to make it, 4-0, on his first goal of the season in game 22.

Mark Stone added the Knights’ fifth goal in the third period. And Karlsson made it a half-dozen with the VGK’s sixth goal on a backhander late in period three.