Golden Knights Go Three-For-Three To Start 2024 Season, Defeat Anaheim, 3-1, Before Announced 18,027 Fans Sunday
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Less than three hours after the Las Vegas Raiders played an error-filled second half and fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights took to the ice to play the Anaheim Ducks.
The NFL Raiders may be valued at more than $5 billion and manage a moneymaker of a publicly-subsidized built domed sports palace, but the NHL Golden Knights occupy the market’s top rung as the home team with the most loyal, emotion-connected followers in Las Vegas.
As usual, the Knights filled T-Mobile Arena to way more than fixed-seat capacity, which is 17,367, with a Sunday evening announced attendance of 18,027.
The screams and cheers of Pittsburgh Steelers fans were on display at Allegiant Stadium, where Raiders games are quite the draw for fans of visiting teams. Even with the Raiders’ “Black Hole” fan area behind the south end zone, the vibe in Las Vegas is nothing like the Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders played their last game in Oakland in 2019, while their old Coliseum mates — the A’s — played their final game last month with plans to also call Las Vegas home in 2028.
The National Hockey League is the smallest of the so-called “Big Four” of the major leagues. But here in Las Vegas, the Golden Knights are the kings of the market.
They started from scratch in 2017 and are Las Vegas’ team, even if the team’s medieval times branding focus has nothing to do with Las Vegas, per se, except for the V-shaped opening in the knight helmet in the team logo.
While the once-proud Raiders have become perennial losers, the Golden Knights made the NHL playoffs six of their seven years, including two Stanley Cup Final appearances and one NHL championship.
While the Raiders have won two of their six games so far in 2024, the Golden Knights have closed out three games in a row for wins, including last night’s 3-1 victory over Anaheim.
With the Knights and Ducks tied at one goal each after two periods, Vegas’ Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev each scored a tally in the third period for the VGK’s third win in three games to open the season.
The Knights hit the road to play Washington Tuesday, the Lightning Thursday and Panthers Saturday.
