VGK Bounce Back On Detroit: Big Announced Crowd Of 18,348 Watches Golden Knights Take Down Red Wings, 6-3, Saturday
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It’s hard to believe this is the same Detroit Red Wings team that shut out the Golden Knights on Vegas’ last road trip.
The Wings, playing in front of lots of red-clad Detroit fans in the Vegas arena, opened the scoring in period one for a 1-0 lead.
But then the Knights stormed back, scoring five goals before the game was even half over and Vegas led, 5-2, powered by three goals by Tomas Hertl.
In two of the three goals, it was a power play setting with assist machine Jack Eichel feeding captain Mark Stone near the goal line and Stone setting up Hertl with goals from literally a few inches from the goal line.
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It was an impressive crowd for the nationally-televised game on ABC opposite the March Madness slate of college basketball games Saturday.
Vegas announced attendance at 18,348, with the arena spiced with lots of Red Wings fans.
With the NFL Las Vegas Raiders games drawing so many visiting team fans to Allegiant Stadium, Vegas sports fans are used to venues with lots of fans wearing the visitors’ colors.
Thursday’s VGK game against the Boston Bruins also attracted lots of Bruins fans to the Big Ice House by the Strip.
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After a VGK goal was taken off the board in period one because officials ruled Keegan Kolesar was offsides on the play erasing a 3-1 Vegas lead, Nic Roy applied a back-breaker goal with a mere 2.1 seconds left in the opening stanza.
Instead of Detroit trailing, 2-1, going into the first intermission, VGK skated off the ice with a 3-1 lead after the first period thanks to the Roy goal.
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After Detroit’s Lucas Raymond scored his 24th to open the scoring, the Wings’ Patrick Kane scored a power play goal in period two. Detroit’s Alex Debrincat notched his 32nd in the third and Vegas had a 5-3 lead.
Detroit goalie Cam Talbot was pulled with about three minutes to go with the Red Wings down by two goals.
Eichel slid the puck into an open goal and Vegas had a 6-3 lead with 2:01 to go. It was Eichel’s 22nd goal to go along with three assists today. Eichel has 22 goals and 64 assists for 86 points.
VGK goalie Adin Hill stopped 28 of 31 shots for his 26th win of the season.
Vegas is now 41-20-8 for 90 points — five points ahead of both the LA Kings and Edmonton Oilers.
Hertl now has 30 goals, tied for the team lead in goals with Pavel Dorofeyev, who also has 30. Hertl’s hat trick followed Dorofeyev’s hattie two days ago against Boston.
The Knights are 26-7-3 at home and 15-13-5 on the road, so LVSportsBiz.com asked VGK coach Bruce Cassidy after the game why is there such a disparity in wins in Las Vegas compared to the away games.
Cassidy believes the Knights just don’t extend leads on the road to salt away victories.
We will be back at the arena Sunday for a 5PM game between Vegas and Tampa Bay. See you then.
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