Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Stanley Cup Championships

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

Game Two of a Best of Seven

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored his first-ever goal in the Stanley Cup Finals and Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made a phenominal late-game save on Alex Tuch’s close-range wrister to lead the Capitals to a 3-2 win. It was the first ever win for the Washington Capitals in a Stanley Cup Finals game.

Best of Seven is tied 1-1

Next game – Saturday, June 2  – Vegas Golden Knights at Washington Capitals

Game time 5 pm pacific

NBCSN

https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/922216?referrer_id=695820

Monday, May 28.  2018

By Charles V Reilly
NHL Insider for Vegashockey.net

Las Vegas – Tomas Nosek scored the go-ahead goal on a crushing short-range shot and then added an empty-net goal with 0:03 to play to help the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals 6-4 in the opening game of a Best of Seven series for the Stanley Cup Championship here Monday night.

It was a fierce battle with heavy checking in all three periods. The Vegas Golden Knights attacked close range against Capitals goalie Braden Holtby who came into this game with two straight shutout wins to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The sold out crowd – with a thousand or more fans outside of the T-Mobile Arena – waved their towels when the game was tied 4-4 in the third period. Nosek’s game-breaker came from the right side of the net. He was posted just out of the net area and fired off a blast of a shot top shelf for the decisive goal.

Nosek, 25, is listed at 6’2″. He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings.

The Golden Knights got another awesome game from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who had 24 saves. Golden Knights goal scorers were Colin Miller, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Ryan Reaves – who scored from close range – and the two goals from Nosek.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz said “we have a lot more to give than what we showed tonight. Looking forward to the game here Wednesday.”

Game Two is here at the T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday, 5 pm local time.

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

By Lee Samuels

Our father Richard grew up on a farm in Virginia. So did his brothers James and Ernest. On weekends they played baseball.

Each served in World War 2. My dad spent 6 long years overseas. When he returned he and his brothers re-settled in a small town of Pennsville, New Jersey where we and our brothers and sister grew up.

None – Richard, James or Ernest – would speak about the horror of war. It was not mentioned by any of the three in our home.

My brother Ronald Lee liked to build race cars, like custom super stock drag racing cars which he would drive at Cecil County Dragway in Maryland. We would write about him when we worked for two weekly newspapers – the Pennsville Progress and the Penns Grove Record.

On Ronald Lee’s second tour of duty in Viet Nam he contracted Agent Orange. He was not the same person when he came home. He lost memory and wanted to be alone. He passed unexpectedly at a very young age. I am looking at a picture of him while writing this.

My wife Mary Margaret’s father Edward James McDermott fought in World War ll for seven years. Like my father he never spoke about what he had seen or did. Edward earlier played basketball at Temple University. He was a quarterback for a semi pro team called the Conshocken Bears. When he came home from the war he and his wife settled in a small town in Pitman, New Jersey. He was manager of a company called Nanette which manufactures baby clothes. He is unquestionally the best person I have ever met. He cared for others, helping those in need. We learned a lot from him how to respect others no matter who they are or where they are from or what they do.

Our son Ross is a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army. He fought in the Iraq Invasion. Chemical weapons were used to counter our U.S. troops. He saw things he never spoke about to Mary Margaret and myself. Ross and his family now live in Kansas.

These are examples of those who fought for our country and who gave us our freedom.

At our real job at Top Rank we travel to different countries. There is no place like the United States of America because we had men and women who fought for the most precious gift of all, our freedom.

The Vegas Jr Golden Knights have announced their coaching staff for 2018-19.

High School D3 – Evan Zucker
16 AA – Wally Lacroix
14 AA- Matt Johnson
14 A – Cody Castro
14 A Girls – Gloria Wong, Julia Swarbrick
12 AA – Kevin Mulcahy
12 A – Jeff Bruckner
10 ’08 – Scott Jackson
10 ’09 – Matt Johnson
8u ’10 – Matt Edlin
8u ’11 – Tony Esposito

Skills Coaches
Jeff May
JJ Hartmann
Brian Salcido
Nick Robone
Chris Francis
Lauren Kuhn

Goalie Coach
Alex Bjerk

Power Skating Coach – Chad Goodwin

Monday, May 28, 2018

//After eliminating the L.A. Kings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets the NHL Vegas Golden Knights go into the biggest games of all vs the Washington Capitals.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

MICHAEL MCNICHOLAS SIGNS WITH MANGLERUD STAR IN NORWAY

Special to Vegashockey.net

Las Vegas goal scorer Michael McNicholas, who just graduated from NCAA New Hampshire University where he played four seasons, will play for Manglerud Star in Oslo, Norway this coming 2018-19 season.

The announcement was made today.

Michael, 24, said he is “really excited to start my pro career there. Should be a good fit for me and my style of play.”

He is listed as a center at  5’10, 175.

Michael’s older brother John Paul McNicholas played in ice hockey many seasons closing out his college career with the Cal University hockey team.

Michael played for the the AAA Cal Wave peewees, AAA L.A. Selects 14u, 16u and AAA Victory Honda 18u. His senior season of high school was spent with the USHL Muskegon Lumberbacks. Michael played in the BCHL one season with the Nanaimo Clippers and was a 23-goal scorer for the BCHL Vernon Vipers.

Michael’s father John coached many youth ice hockey teams in Las Vegas

John coached 10 years in Las Vegas first with the Falcons in house hockey, then the Mustangs in Mite B, Mite A, Squirt AA and was the first president of the Team Las Vegas hockey organization. 

He started the 2000 Las Vegas Outlaws hockey program and iniitally coached mites, squirts and midgets. John’s final season as a coach here in town was when his daughter Clare played goalie on the Las Vegas Outlaws Peewee A team. 

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

By Lee Samuels

Las Vegas coach Rob Pallin is on summer break here in Las Vegas. His HC TWK Innsbruck team is coming off an awesome season with a long run in the playoffs in Austria. Here is how his club is shaping up for 2018-19.

The roster includes comments from coach Rob…

Tyler Spurgeon, Edmonton – Returning veteran who scored 18 goals. Best leader in the league. Edmonton Oilers draft pick. Brother of Minnesota Wild’s Jared Spurgeon.

John Lammers, Ontario – Returning veteran who put up 50 points for Innsbruck. 3rd round draft pick of Dallas Stars.

Andrew Clark, Manitoba – Returning center who had 60 points. A top center in the Austrian League.

Austin Smith, Dallas – Hobey Baker finalist at Colgate. Dallas Stars draft pick.

Mario Lamoreaux, North Dakota – Excellent center, very difficult to play against. Brother of 2018 U.S. Hockey Gold Medalists Jocelyn and Monique.

Nick Ross, Alberta – Phoenix 1st round draft pick. One the best offensive d-men in our league.

Lubomir Stach, Czech – Very mobile and puck moving defenseman.

Ondrej Sedivy, Czech – Very creative and skilled forward. Great teammate.

Matt Climie, Edmonton – 6’3″ athletic goalie. Played in NHL, KHL and DEL games.

—

“All of these players are great teammates and great leaders. Character wins!

“After 10 years of not making the playoffs we have made the playoffs two seasons in a row. I am very proud of our players and our organization,” coach Rob said.