Golden Knights’ Eichel Scores Game-Winning OT Ghoul One Day Before Halloween: VGK 2 Winnipeg 1 Sunday
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
The Golden Knights’ secondary market vendor was back at it, alerting fans via texts that there were upper level tickets selling for $39 a pop and standing room only tickets going for $50 each for Sunday’s VGK vs Winnipeg game at T-Mobile Arena.
What’s interesting thing is T-Mobile Arena’s own website has tickets starting at $25 for the same game. Take a look.
It’s always a question facing VGK fans — buy season tickets or buy tickets on day of game via the secondary market that are often cheaper than the season tickets.
The Knights have already beaten the Winnipeg Jets, 5-2, here at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 20 on a Thursday night game when 17,777 was the announced attendance. Original Misfit Nate Schmidt, now with Winnipeg after he was traded by VGK to Vancouver, is making his second visit to Las Vegas in 10 days.
It’s the day before Halloween, but not too many fans at today’s game are dressed in costumes for the ghoulish holiday. A few kids are dressed in costumes, but it’s low key in the Halloween department.
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The Knights dominated the first period, launching 18 shots on goal against Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck. But the 29-year-old from Michigan stood tall, stonewalling the VGK. Vegas goalie Adin Hill stopped Winnipeg’s four shots.
The Knights have had a healthy share of point-blank shot chances that hit the post, could not be teed up or were fired into the body of Hellebuyck. Late in the second period, the Golden Knights had a wide 31-7 advantage in shots on goal over the Jets.
In the end, the Knights enjoyed a 33-8 edge in shots on goal after two periods. But the scoreboard showed a very different picture: 0-0.
Every Knights player had a shot on goal except Michael Amadio and Brayden McNabb after two periods.
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Winnipeg struck first.
A mere 14 seconds into the third period, Jets center Adam Lowry scored on a rebound off a slapshot from the point and Winnipeg seized a 1-0 lead.
The Knights were not piling up the shots, but Jack Eichel fed Mark Stone, who was stopped on his first shot but he swatted in the rebound past Hellebuyck and the captain’s equalizer squared the score at one apiece midway through the final stanza. It’s was the Knights’ 36th shot on goal of the night.
Attendance came in at 17,284.
Nic Roy missed another pint blank shot on Hellebuyck and the game went to OT tied at one.
The Jets controlled most of the play in OT.
But then Eichel got his stick on the puck and he skated for a while before deking Hellebuyck and slipping the puck into the open net for the 2-1 OT win with only six seconds left in the OT. The Knights outshot Winnipeg, 48-24, on Eichel’s game-winner.
Postgame:
VGK coach Bruce Cassidy on the team’s emerging identity.
Mark Stone on VGK staying resilient.
