Golden Knights continue healing process for Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — With the city reeling from the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland delivered an emotional 58-second speech last October that continues to echo through Las Vegas today.

Engelland’s address came days after the Oct. 1 massacre during a pregame ceremony honoring victims and first responders. It ended with the reassurances: “We’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. We are Vegas strong.”


As the one-year anniversary of the massacre on the Las Vegas Strip that left 58 dead approaches, Vegas’ beloved NHL team remains very much a part of the healing process, true to Engelland’s words.

“Anything like that happens, you definitely want to keep helping the process of the healing,” Engelland said following a recent preseason game as the Knights prepared for their second season. “I think last year was a good stepping stone and I think we can still do more this year.”

The Golden Knights, who became a rallying point for many residents after the shooting, will make their way around town Monday, with several players and team personnel visiting command and dispatch centers for police and other first responders and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a blood drive.

“Being from here, you want to do as much as you can for the community you call home,” Engelland said. “I think every guy in this room wants to do what they can for Las Vegas. A lot of guys are going to be calling this home for a long time. We got a lot of great leaders in here that step up and do a lot of good things. We just try to help each other out and do whatever we can for the community.”

Lifelong Vegas resident Tina Cartwright, who was at the outdoor concert when the gunman opened fire from a room in the Mandalay Bay casino-resort, said it took a long time for her to attend a crowded event after the shooting, during which she remembers running her life. It was a Golden Knights game that brought her back to enjoying her social life.

“They gave me hope, because I didn’t want to go out in crowds and put myself in that position where I wasn’t close to an exit,” said Cartwright, 47. “I didn’t want to go out right away, so they were an immediate part of the healing process. I have friends who still won’t go to concerts or big gatherings, and I think the longer you wait it can be detrimental. They just gave us something to look forward to in times that were dark.”

Knights newcomer Max Pacioretty was with the Montreal Canadiens last season but said he remembers the shooting vividly. He said it was tough to watch on television. But he said watching the Knights from afar as they helped with the recovery process helped him see how special the team had become to the community.

They had become much more than the town’s first major sports franchise, and much more than a team embarking on an inaugural campaign that would end in the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s something I feel that this community will never forget, and it’s a big reason why there’s such good chemistry between the fans and the city and this team,” Pacioretty said. “I feel as if people didn’t really know what to expect, what type of people and human beings hockey players are in a general spectrum. But I think they learned real quick. As soon as they knew that they were going to have to help this community overcome what they were going through, you saw them step up to the occasion right away.”

During each home game last season, the Golden Knights recognized the Vegas Strong Hero of the Game, a first responder or citizen who risked his or her own life during the shooting to aid others. Engelland would talk to those heroes after the games.

In September, Engelland and his family announced the Vegas Born Heroes Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to publicly recognize and reward charities and community members who consistently and selflessly help others to benefit the city.

“It’s been an honor to honor those people who sacrificed their lives or made it out of there,” Engelland said. “We still talk to a lot of them here and there. We wanted to start our foundation and kind of branch a little bit away from that but not completely. Those first responders, we wanted to grow it and make it the heroes around Las Vegas that do the little things that might go unnoticed.”

Unnoticed, until now.

source: sports.inquirer.net

US women end drought, beat Canada for gold in a shootout

GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The Americans’ gold medal drought is finally over. They needed the first shootout in an Olympic women’s final to do it, too.

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored a dazzling, triple-deke goal in the sixth round of a shootout thriller and Maddie Rooney stuffed the last two Canadians to wrap up a 3-2 victory over archrival Canada on Thursday.

The Americans piled over the boards, throwing gloves in the air before huddling and hugging on the ice — 20 years after the women’s last gold medal in women’s hockey and 38 years to the day after he men’s famous “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Russians in group play at Lake Placid.

“I can’t put it into words,” defenseman Kacey Bellamy said. “This whole year is for everyone that came before us. This is for Julie Chu (former USA team captain) and for all our families at home, the schools that we went to, everyone supporting us.”

Lamoureux-Davidson’s shootout goal was the talk of the game. She feinted a wrist shot, then drew Szabados out of the net by faking a backhand and came back to slide the puck past Szabados’ outstretched leg into the open net for the clinching score.

Her twin, Monique Lamoureux-Moranda, said coach Peter Elander, now at Ohio State, had taught the sisters the shootout move when the three were at the University of North Dakota.

“Not everyone can take the pressure like that and she took it like a champ,” she said.

Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel also scored in the shootout, another nail-biter ending four years after Canada won its fourth-straight gold medal in Sochi after rallying to stun the Americans in overtime.

Monique Lamoureux-Morando tied it up with a breakaway with 6:21 left in regulation . Hilary Knight also had a goal and Rooney was spectacular, making 29 saves for the win. The 20-year-old goalie stopped the last two Canadian shooters in the shootout in Brianne Jenner and then Meghan Agosta on her second attempt.

It was sweet redemption for the 10 Americans who watched the Canadians snatch gold away in Sochi. Not only did the Americans end the Canadians’ stranglehold on Olympic gold, they ended a skid of five straight against their rival coming into this game, including a 2-1 loss in the tournament a week ago.

“It is everything for our country,” U.S. coach Robb Stauber said. “I am just so thankful for the outcome. It was a thrilling final. It was unreal.”

Marie-Philip Poulin and Haley Irwin each scored goals for Canada. Agosta and Melodie Daoust scored in the shootout.

The Canadians, who had pushed the Americans around for much of the game and taken penalties for it, wept on the ice as they accepted their silver medals. Jocelyne Larocque took hers off immediately and held it in her hands as the Americans stood nearby awaiting their gold.

“It’s just hard,” Larocque said. “You work so hard. We wanted gold but didn’t get it.”

Added Canada coach Laura Schuler: “There’s not a lot of words that can describe how you feel. It was a great game of hockey. It’s what we expected: back and forth hockey.”

The Americans had dominated the women’s game in non-Olympic years, winning the last four and eight of the last 10 world championships, including a 3-2 overtime victory over Canada last spring.

It only made the lack of gold at the Olympics all the more noticeable, and Canada has been in their way since losing the inaugural gold in Nagano in 1998. Canada had won 24 straight Olympic games to go along with those four consecutive gold medals — a streak of success in a women’s team sport second only to the U.S. basketball team’s current streak of six straight gold.

This was the eighth time these North American rivals had met in the Olympics and the fifth with gold on the line. None of the previous seven was decided by more than two goals.

U.S. coach Robb Stauber went with Rooney in net for the biggest game of her career — the goalie for each of the three wins against Canada last fall during a pre-Olympic exhibition tour.

Canada had Shannon Szabados in goal for her third Olympic gold medal game, and her teammates made her job very easy by keeping the puck in front of Rooney for most of the first period by dictating play. The Americans couldn’t use their speed or get organized even with two power plays until Sarah Nurse went in the box for interference late in the period.

Knight gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead with 25.4 seconds left in the first, redirecting a shot from Sidney Morin through Szabados’ pads to give the Americans a jolt of energy.

That lasted only 2 minutes into the second when Irwin tipped a midair pass from Blayre Turnbull over Rooney’s left leg for Canada. And when Morin lost the puck, Melodie Daoust grabbed it and passed to Meghan Agosta who hit Poulin for the wrister into the left side of the net at 6:55 for a 2-1 lead.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Oops! Laine shoots into own goal, costing Jets vs Oilers

EDMONTON, Alberta — Patrik Laine has scored a lot of big goals in his first NHL season, including a few game-winners.

His latest was anything but.

Laine shot the puck into his own net midway through the third period, costing the Winnipeg Jets in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.

Edmonton’s Mark Letestu was credited with his second goal of the game when Laine fired the rebound of Letestu’s slap shot directly into his own wide-open cage.

“I think everybody saw what happened. That’s my comments,” said the Finnish rookie, who has 17 goals in his first 32 NHL games. “It was just a bad position for me. An unfortunate goal.”

Captain Blake Wheeler put an arm around Laine to console him when he returned to the bench.

“He’s 18 years old. He feels terrible,” Wheeler said. “These things happen. I’ve done it many times.”

Oscar Klefbom also scored and Cam Talbot made 29 saves for the Oilers.

Mathieu Perreault and Chris Thorburn had goals for the Jets, who have now lost four straight games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots.

Winnipeg started the scoring with 5:10 left in the first period. Bryan Little’s tip went off the post, but Perreault got two whacks at it, eventually sweeping it in past Talbot.

Edmonton came close late in the first on a power play, but Jordan Eberle’s one-timer hit the crossbar behind Hellebuyck.

The Oilers tied the game about two minutes into the second period when a huge rebound from Tyler Pitlick’s shot came to Klefbom, who hammered in his fifth of the season.

Winnipeg regained the lead with 8 minutes to play in the second when Thorburn scored on a nice feed in front from Marko Dano.

Edmonton appeared to pull even again two minutes later, but Zack Kassian’s breakaway goal was overturned for offsides on review.

The Oilers made it 2-2 2:28 into the third period on the power play when Connor McDavid set up Letestu for a goal in front.

That set up Edmonton’s fortunate break, when Laine one-timed the puck with some authority into his own cage. Laine appeared surprised when the rebound of Letestu’s shot came his way, quickly putting a second hand on his stick and smacking at the puck, possibly in an attempt to clear it out of the zone.

“Every guy in the National Hockey League’s got a goal like that,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. “Every defenseman, it goes in off them, so he has a story to tell.”

Five of Letestu’s six goals this season have come against Winnipeg.

“I can’t really explain it,” Letestu said. “The puck just goes in on certain nights. I think it’s just coincidental that it’s been against this team. A really lucky third goal and on the power play, Connor (McDavid) finds me in a good spot.”

NOTES: It was the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Oilers won both previous games in Winnipeg, shutting out the Jets 3-0 at the Heritage Classic in October, and then won the second game 6-3 to start December. … Winnipeg’s Brandon Tanev leads all NHL rookies in hits, coming into the contest with 74 in 30 games.

UP NEXT

Jets: Are off until Thursday night, when they host Florida.

Oilers: Remain at home to play Columbus on Tuesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net