Having recently kicked off their third season in the National Hockey League, the Vegas Golden Knights are still technically in their infancy. However, the game-day atmosphere inside the team’s home venue is already the stuff of legend—so much so that tickets to Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena are among the hottest in town.
The good news is there are multiple opportunities to experience the spectacle this week, as the Golden Knights will host the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers in successive games over a seven-day stretch. If you’re lucky enough to gain entry to The Fortress—as T-Mobile is affectionately known—here’s what to expect:
ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATE: Since the Golden Knights debuted, Toshiba Plaza and The Park—both just outside the arena—have been popular gathering spots where fans (of both the home and visiting teams) can enjoy live entertainment, food and drink, and games for kids and adults alike. Just make sure to be in your seats at least 10 minutes before the puck drops so you don’t miss the over-the-top pregame show, capped by Carnell Johnson’s goose bump-inducing rendition of the national anthem. After the final horn sounds, head back to Toshiba Plaza and The Park for postgame revelry.
GETTING OFFENSIVE: If you’re into high-scoring hockey, the Vegas-Toronto showdown figures to deliver. For starters, Toronto’s only two previous visits to T-Mobile ended with identical final scores of 6-3. Also, the Maple Leafs capped the season’s first month ranked eighth in goals scored per game (3.50) but near the bottom of the 31-team league in goals allowed (3.43). Meanwhile, the Golden Knights ended October ranked 15th in scoring (3.14 goals per game) while allowing just under three goals per contest.
Although Edmonton (ranked 18th in scoring), Calgary (22nd) and San Jose (27th), don’t put the puck in the net with the same frequency as Toronto and Vegas, those clubs don’t lack for playmakers. In fact, five of the league’s top nine goal-scorers through October will be on the T-Mobile ice this week: Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and James Neal; Toronto’s Auston Matthews; Calgary’s Elias Lindholm; and Vegas’ Mark Stone. Right behind that quintet in the goal-scoring standings are San Jose’s Evander Kane and Vegas’ Reilly Smith.
MINDING THE NET: Judging by the first-month stats, the goaltending edge should belong to the Oilers, whose two netminders (Mike Smith and Mikko Kroskinen) were ranked ninth and 11th, respectively, in goals-against average. Golden Knights superstar Marc-Andre Fleury was 15th, while the goalies for the Flames (31st), Leafs (32nd) and Sharks (41st and 43rd) ranked at the back of the pack.
DEFENDING THE FORTRESS: Fans making the trek from Calgary, Toronto, San Jose and Edmonton will undoubtedly enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience of attending a Knights game at T-Mobile. Unfortunately, they probably won’t enjoy the final score. That’s because Vegas is 13-2-1 all time when hosting the Flames, Leafs, Sharks and Oilers, outscoring those four opponents by a combined tally of 65-33.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Calgary Flames, 5 p.m. Nov. 17, starting at $75 plus tax and fee; vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. Nov. 19, starting at $99 plus tax and fee; vs. San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m. Nov. 21, starting at $69 plus tax and fee; vs. Edmonton Oilers, 7 p.m. Nov. 23, starting at $59 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849 AXS
