Knights Return To Vegas Ice Friday After COVID Problems and Ten-Day Break, Defeat LA Kings, 5-2, Behind Fleury, Hague
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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
For the first time in 10 days, the Vegas Golden Knights hit the ice at the Big Ice House by the Strip tonight.
COVID-19 forced three coaches including head coach Pete DeBoer, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and a taxi squad player into quarantine and the Knights to have a game postponed against the St. Louis Blues and two games postponed against the San Jose Sharks.
“Ten days in quarantine with my wife will test any marriage,” DeBoer cracked. “You get an appreciation for the ability to show up here every day.”
Pietrangelo remains out of action tonight as his name is on the NHL’s COVID protocol list.
The Golden Knights missed playing so much they scored in the first minute of the game. Defenseman Nic Hague scored on a wrister, with assists to Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone.
Then it was Stone’s turn to score off assists from Pacioretty and Shea Theodore.
And Jonathan Marchessault poked in a rebound into an empty LA net and the Knights were up, 3-0, after one period.
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William Karlsson scored for the Knights early in period two and the VGK led, 4-0, and knocked out Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick as Cal Peterson came off the LA bench to relieve Quick, who did not look sharp.
The Knights converted a power play goal to make it 5-0, as Cody Glass scored with assists from Karlsson and Pacioretty.
It could have been worse. Stone scored an easy power play goal in the second period, but goalie interference wiped that goal off the scoreboard.
The Knights led, 5-0, after two periods.
DeBoer said the Knights got the job done after not playing an NHL game for 10 days.
The Kings added two goals in the third period, with 36-year-old Ithaca, NY native Dustin Brown assisting on the first Kings goal and scoring the second LA goal.
The in-game entertainment folks did the YMCA song with two minutes left and the Knights had themselves a 5-2 win as Las Vegas welcomed NHL play Friday night.
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Marc-Andre Fleury led the Knights onto the ice for pregame warm-ups. Fleury is now 4-0 on the season as the Golden Knights improved to 6-1-1.
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The Knights returned with their arena emcees and music DJ Joe Green. Naturally, Carnell “Golden Pipes” Johnson delivered the anthem.
Here’s the VGK entertainment between the first and second periods in an arena with no fans. Loud Luxury in action.
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Las Vegas radio personality/entertainer Bojo Ackah, who did Las Vegas Lights soccer game emcee duties, will be the Henderson Silver Knights game host at Orleans Arena when Silver Knights play their inaugural regular season game tomorrow night at 7PM. Bojo was hanging out with VGK game hosts Mark Shunock and Katie Marie Jones at tonight VGK-LA game here at T-Mobile Arena.
The Knights had 37 shots on goal, while the Kings had 29.
The Kings and Knights play again Sunday before the Super Bowl.
