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If Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer’s attention was momentarily diverted from the T-Mobile Arena ice to the upper-deck castle in the middle of his team’s game against the Ducks Thursday night, it would be hard to blame him.
The Golden Knights’ cheerleaders and drumline were showing more energy than their players in the second period of the season opener.
That’s not meant to be a knock on Vegas’ roster, at least not too much of one. Their lethargy was understandable if not inevitable in their introduction to the new reality of the NHL.
Playing in home arenas without fans, and without the intensity of playoff hockey like in this past summer’s bubble to make up for it, is strange. It’s even stranger in a venue like T-Mobile Arena where the fan effect is such an intrinsic part of the experience.
Vegas got through it in game 1 of 56 with its newly named captain pulling it out of its stupor by breaking a tie and pulling his team away in the third period for a 5-2 win over Anaheim. But that was only after the Golden Knights blew an early 2-0 lead and fell into a mid-game malaise.
“I think if you’re playing in a normal season and you get up 2-0 like that, the building is really rocking,” captain Mark Stone said. “We’ve got to learn to continue to put our foot on the gas when we go up 2-0. Normally when you’re playing at T-Mobile and you get up 2-0, sometimes we can finish teams in the first five minutes.”
Turns out the static of alternating red and gold seat covers, and gray canvas ads, isn’t as invigorating as the screaming, swaying and rejoicing of more than 18,000 fans.
Navigating the emptiness is going to be an adjustment for all 31 NHL franchises, but one particularly vital to the Golden Knights’ aspirations. Perhaps no other team has leaned on their home-ice advantage more than Vegas since it entered the league four seasons ago.
Vegas is now 76-33-11 all-time at T-Mobile Arena, in the top five for best home records since its inaugural 2017-2018 season. The Golden Knights are one of only three teams — along with fellow perennial contenders Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins — to rank in the NHL’s top 10 for home record in each of the last three years.
It will be a challenge to keep that streak alive this season. The home teams’ advantage has all but disappeared in sports since fans were removed because of the pandemic — away teams even had a winning record for the first time in the NFL this season.
It’s too early to say for sure, but there’s no reason to believe the NHL won’t follow the same trend. In the first two nights of play in the 2021 season at least, away teams went 8-7.
It never felt like Vegas was ever in any true danger of helping to instead boost that number to 9-6 with a loss to Anaheim. The Golden Knights are too much better than the Ducks and skated circles around them when they were engaged.
The problem was that they weren’t always engaged — not even in its first game. Forward Max Pacioretty admitted the lack of fans “could have” contributed to the Golden Knights’ lack of focus.
“We hope sooner or later that we’ll be able to play in front of our fans,” he said. “It’s a tremendous advantage for our team. We get a lot of energy from them.”
Stone had to fill the role of energizer on Thursday. DeBoer stressed getting back to dictating the game at the second intermission and his captain made sure it happened.
Stone first blasted the game-winning score past Ducks goalie John Gibson off a pass from Chandler Stephenson from behind the net 49 seconds into the third period. Then, in an even better play, he passed to Pacioretty for a goal while falling over in between two defenders.
After the game, Stone and Pacioretty shared a laugh as they waved to the empty seats when they were called out to the ice as two of the night's three stars.
“I heard a couple people talk about how much we miss our fans,” Pacioretty said. “It’s definitely not ideal but, given the circumstances, it’s nice playing in our building where the music is rocking. It’s still going to be a better atmosphere than is going to be pretty much at every other rink that doesn’t have fans. But it’s not the same.”
Yes, the speakers were as loud as ever with the bass thump still feeling like it was shaking the walls. The way the flickering strobe lights and waving spotlights reflected off the mascot knight’s sparkly gold armor in the pregame should have come with a “potential eye damage” disclaimer.
The T-Mobile Arena production staff never fails; not even in a season without fans. But despite their best efforts, like Pacioretty said, it’s not the same. It will never be the same until fans are allowed back in the building.
Tougher games are ahead, and with every point in the standings meaning a little bit more in a shortened season, Vegas can’t afford lapses. The Golden Knights can’t afford to surrender what’s been one of their biggest edges — home ice — without a fight.
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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