First Post: Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Golden night

Best contest of the season last night at the arena in DTLA. The unbelievable Vegas Golden Knights visited for the first game of a home-and-home, and for the first 52 mins., they appeared unbeatable, leading 2-nil and seemingly in front, in hand and in command. Then La-La Land got a fortunate bounce on the power advantage — an own goal off the helmet of a defender, really — and it was up for grabs again with 7 mins. remaining.

Vegas held firm, repelling wave after wave of 6-on-5 buzzing for 80 of the final 90 secs. of regulation. But Kaptain Kopitar slid one in from the far boards at the bottom of the right-side faceoff circle, beating Fleury five-hole when the latter could not quite get across to cover in time. It was 2-all with 10 secs. left.

In the overtime, Vegas was whistled for a penalty late, and a La-La Land shot bounced around the crease before D. Brown pounced on it and won the game for the home side, 3-2. In all, a gripping affair, with the final 8 mins. of regulation and the entire overtime sending the fans into gasping paroxysms of agony and ecstasy and, when it was over, blissful relief. One of those games that will linger long in the memory.

Fleet Frontrunners
Keystone 9

Fast Final-Furlong Phantasms
NONE

Favorable Faves^*
Mahoning 6
Keystone 6

Freakazoid Factories
Sunland 3
Turf Paradise 8

^*-morning-line faves only, including those bumped-up to morning-line-favorite status after accounting for raceday scratches and changes, which are current as of 1:11 p.m. EST; no-go if race switches surface; your mileage may vary

YESTERDAY’s Fine Finishes^‡
Mahoning 6
Keystone 9

^‡-High-Octane Chancers doin’ it exclusively with All-In-One V6 and its LifeLiner Speed Column analysis and LifeLiner Spread Column analysis, without regard to operational definitions of faves or freakazoids; thank you!

GKG.