ADVERTISEMENT
Shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
ADVERTISEMENT
Story line: VGK overcome two two-goal deficits only to cough up their own two-goal lead in the third period and lose, 6-5, in a shootout.
VGK goal scorers: Pavel Dorofeyev (three), Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev
Turning point: VGK lead LA, 5-3, with eight minutes left in third before Kings’ Trevor Moore scores a short-handed goal and then Kings tie game in regulation.
VGK coach Bruce Cassidy’s postgame observation: Knights mismanaged the puck.
Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — In most big league towns like LA, New York or Denver, the National Hockey League team occupies a lower rung on the scale of local fan popularity.
But in Las Vegas where this market runs counter to just every place else in the U.S., the NHL Vegas Golden Knights rule this region like kings. Businesses hang framed Golden Knights photos in offices, craft makers place VGK logos on everything from dog coats to pocketbooks and there’s so much Golden Knights merch out there that shirts, pullovers and hats are showing up in thrift stores.
It’s Year 9 and the inaugural season of the Misfits is slowly phasing into lore as the ten-year anniversary — yes a decade — is a mere year away. It seemed only yesterday that VGK owner Bill Foley called out Marc-Andre Fleury’s name during the expansion draft in June 2017. The franchise’s first regular season home game on Oct. 10, 2017 has grown to mythical proportions with the Knights scoring four goals in the first ten minutes on the way to defeating the former Arizona Coyotes here at T-Mobile Arena.
The new season was christened today with news that Vegas’ 28-year-old center Jack Eichel has signed an eight-year extension deal with VGK valued at $13.5 million through the 2033-34 season. The Massachusetts native’s deal totals $108 million.
The Golden Knights top ticket operations man, Todd Pollock, who worked with Foley on launching the franchise when Foley and the Maloof brothers were first getting fans to put down ticket deposits a decade ago, said that hot dogs and water at home games were too expensive so the team was able to lower the prices down to $5.50 each. Soon, even popcorn will be $5.50, oh my.
Pollock said the high costs of food and drinks were a factor for why some families chose to buy tickets for only a cheap priced game. “They spoke. We heard.”
But VGK might want to think twice about bragging about $5.50 for a hot dog or water when the Utah Mammoth sells hot dogs for three bucks and water for $2.
LVSportsBiz.com asked Pollock what the average VGK ticket cost and he said it was more than $100. When LVSportsBiz.com pointed out the average ticket has been more than $100 for a several seasons Pollock said he “didn’t feel comfortable” discussing the average ticket price. The last time the average VGK ticket price was reported, it was $124 for the 2022-23 season, according to Team Marketing Report.
The Golden Knights players signed autographs as they entered the arena that opened in April 2016.
Tonight’s game had a 7:25PM puck drop.
The Kings jumped put to a 2-0 lead after one period, but Pavel Dorofeyev fired home a goal to cut the LA lead down to 2-1 in the second period. But VGK goalie Adin Hill yielded another goal and the Kings had another two-goal lead. The Kings had three goals on 14 shots.
But then the game pivoted. Dorofeyev scored again, a power play tally thanks to an LA major and the Knights closed the gap to 3-2.
And before the period ended, it was Dorofeyev scoring again and the third period started tied at three apiece.
The Mitch Marner-Eichel duo combined on Eichel’s first goal of the season and both Marner and Eichel assisted on linemate Ivan Barbashev’s first goal of the season for a VGK 5-3 lead in the third.
But the Knights coughed up the lead. LA’s Trevor Moore scored a shorty and the Kings tied the game in the third.
After a scoreless overtime, the Kings won in a shootout.
The Knights massaged a point out of the game, but a disappointed crowd filed out of T-Mobile Arena knowing there was another point left on the ice.
PSA
*
Buy this book