Eights Goals For Year Eight: VGK Season-Opener Draws 18,388 For 8-4 Win Over Colorado Wednesday
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Shop at Jay’s Market ay 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
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It just seemed like yesterday — or maybe a decade ago — when NHL Commissioner and a businessman by the name of Bill Foley were chatting on a couch at a hotel on the Strip.
It was before an event designed to spark locals to pay for season ticket deposits for a team that would be called the Vegas Golden Knights.
A Stanley Cup championship and routine game sellouts later, the VGK as they’re known around the gambling and entertainment market of Las Vegas began Year 8 with a season-opener against Western Conference power Colorado at the Big House by the Strip.
About 40 minutes before puck, Bettman met the media. He was in a chipper, upbeat mood. You never know with Bettman, the Cornell man who sometimes can be a dour or even surly mood at times. Bettman loves Las Vegas, but is diplomatically savvy enough to say “I love all my children equally” when asked about VGK setting the pace in the National Hockey League.
As for the game, Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy plugged Mark Stone into the number one line with center Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
And near the end of the opening period, linemates Barbashev and Stone each scored with Eichel assisting on both tallies.
The Knights enjoyed a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes with Victor Olofsson notching Vegas’ first goal of the 2024-25 season.
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Vegas nemesis Mikko Rantanen scored his second goal of the game.
But Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud matched that second period goal by taking a feed from that man Eichel and snapping a wrist shot past Avs goalie Alexander Georgiev to restore the Golden Knights’ two-goal lead.
Colorado’s Casey Mittelstadt scored off a rebound to slide the puck by VGK goalie Adin Hill.
But the VGK went into the intermission with a goal with only 13.7 seconds left in period two when Olofsson fired in a power play goal from the right circle.
It was Vegas 5 Colorado 3 after two periods.
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The Knights sell out every home game.
But they do need to diversify its fan base like every NHL team.
Before the season, the Knights traveled to Mexico to hold a fanfest and cultivate more Hispanic fans to build on its Los VGK program.
The VGK are also trying to draw more fans from urban neighborhoods with hockey programs.
And he Knights are also mixing betting into their TV broadcasts. BGK are working with Scripps Sports, Circa Sports and Play Anywhere said the betting feature – the first of its kind in the NHL – will be available to all viewers with a Circa Sports account.
Here’s how it works: “During the first intermission of each Scripps Sports broadcast – on both linear television and streaming on KnightTime+ – viewers will be presented with real-time game odds and a QR code or button linking to the Circa Sports app. Bets must be placed prior to the start of the second period. KnightTime+ viewers may opt out of the feature.” To comply with the Nevada Gaming Commission, all fans wishing to participate must preregister in person at Circa Sports in Las Vegas.
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A Rantanen hat trick goal cut the VGK lead to 5-4 in the third period.
But Stone tipped in Eichel’s shot on the power play and the Knights led, 6-4.
Barbashev scored his second goal of the game and Vegas enjoyed a 7-4 advantage.
Brett Howden dropped in an empty-netter and Vegas skated away with an 8-4 win.
