Fans Return Again As Golden Knights Sweep Minnesota With 5-1 Win At Big Ice House Wednesday
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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
PA announcer Bruce Cusick welcomed 2,605 hockey fans back to the Big Ice House by the Strip and it was good to hear live human beings let loose with screams and cheers. Again, for a second time in three nights.
They were gone for a year minus two days and now it’s a novelty to hear fans in a big sports venue after LVSportsBiz.com covered Raiders games at Allegiant Stadium and Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena without fans until Monday night when the VGK fans roared when the Knights came back to defeat Minnesota, 5-4, in overtime.
The Knights’ Alex Tuch gave the faithful something to cheer about when he took a pass from Cody Glass and scored early in the game. Defenseman Nic Hague triggered the offensive thrust with a pretty pass off the board to Glass, who fed his linemate Tuch for the game’s first goal.
“He has great vision,” Tuch said of Glass. Tuch notched his fifth goal in five passes.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made some nice saves and the Knights led 1-0 after one period.
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LVSportsBiz.com talked with three Minnesota Wild fans to find out how much they spent for tickets.
A father and son spent nearly $500 for two upper bowl tickets, while another Wild fan was by himself and had to buy two tickets at $300 a pop for a total of $600.
Here’s our interview.
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Matt “The Flagman” Helfst tried to wave his giant flag on the arena plaza but got the boot and he had to do his flag-waving from the edge of The Park across the street from the plaza.
Helfst, who flies the flag before every game, was not too pleased by how he was treated by the arena security. Here’s his side of the story:
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There were COVID-19 protocol folks on patrol on the plaza asking fans if they needed help to download a health app and fill out the form to show they were healthy and not showing symptoms.
Inside, fans were reminded to wear their masks.
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Jonathan Marchessault scored his seventh of the season off assists from Tuch and William Karlsson to give the Knights a 2-0 edge about five minutes into the middle stanza.
But midway through the period, Marcus Foligno scored for the Wild to cut the VGK lead to 2-1. No free dozen donuts tonight.
In the late stages of the period, VGK forward William Carrier drew an interference penalty and the VGK went on a power play. But no goals on the PP and the Golden Knights ended the second period leading, 2-1.
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It’s nice to hear human-created noise here at the VGK home games now, but the VGK in-game entertainment crew is also augmenting the fan cheers with special effect noise, cheers and chants, too. It’s an entertainment strategy being used by other NHL teams at their arenas as more and more teams get local health department approvals to have fans with COVID-19 protocols.
One feature about having only 2,605 fans in the arena is that you can hear the first person who starts the, “Go, Knights, Go,” chant.
The woman overseeing the Knights’ much-heralded in-game entertainment, Ayron Sequeira, said she has spent many years paying her dues and, in a comprehensive, multi-post thread on Twitter, said she is leaving the team.
Fans enjoy interacting with game DJ Joe Green:
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The Knights continued to lead, 2-1, as the third period is nearly half over.
Fleury was making save after save as Minnesota swarmed on a power play. He was making key stops like he did in VGK Season 1, when he backstopped so many one-goal wins and closed the deals on victories that led to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Then with less than nine minutes to go in regulation, Mark Stone notched a goal off a rush with speedy centerman Chandler Stephenson, who fed Stone on a two-on-one.
It was 3-1, VGK.
To seal the deal, Stephenson showed there’s no substitute for speed by racing up the right side and flipping a gorgeous backhander up and over to make it, 4-1.
William Karlsson added an empty-netter. The game was much closer than the score would indicate as Fleury held the fort when it was a one-goal game. Minnesota outshot Vegas, 37-28.
Final score: Vegas 5 Minnesota 1.
The Golden Knights remained in first place as PA announcer Cusick called out the pods to leave in waves out of the building.
VGK are 14-4-1. The Knights play the Sharks in San Jose Friday and don’t have another home game until March 15 when the VGK host San Jose.
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