It only took nine seasons for something to cause a delay at T-Mobile Arena.<\/p>\n
This one included an ice crew, 25 minutes of pondering, and a rave.<\/p>\n
If you went to bed early Thursday night and wondered why the game between the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> and Calgary Flames ended much later than normal, that\u2019s the short of it.<\/p>\n The start to the third period was delayed for nearly a half-hour after what the Knights\u2019 TV broadcast described as one of the zambonis creating a hole in the ice.<\/p>\n The end result was both teams staying in their locker rooms well passed the second intermission.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were actually getting ready to go out,\u201d said winger Brett Howden, \u201cand then they pulled us back in.\u201d<\/p>\n Ice, ice baby<\/p>\n The broadcast stated that the zamboni dragged across the visitor\u2019s side of the ice and created a hole on the City of Las Vegas decal.<\/p>\n The V in \u201cVegas\u201d partially came off. pic.twitter.com\/tdWhrrcIr1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The arena\u2019s ice crew tended to the frozen-encased divot for 25 minutes. Fire extinguishers were, ironically, brought out to smooth the edges.<\/p>\n Knights captain Mark Stone and Flames captain Mikael Backlund, along with the referees, oversaw most of the operation while surveying if the playing surface was deemed safe to play.<\/p>\n All the while, DJ Joe Green kept the good times rolling, blasting EDM nightclub tunes as nine individuals hovered around each other \u2014 spotlight encased on them \u2014 to figure out when the puck would be dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was tough, to be honest,\u201d winger Mitch Marner said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what was going on. We just kind of heard what was going on.\u201d<\/p>\n The captains have been summoned. pic.twitter.com\/HwIa11nFPX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The teams took to the ice while the ice crew continued to hammer away. They brought back the fire extinguishers, as the congregation of on-ice spectators doubled and looked on for a few more minutes before the puck actually dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, we kind of got out there and it still seems like it\u2019s not really fixed,\u201d Marner said. \u201cYou\u2019re just trying to get your bearings under you, try to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n Coach John Tortorella couldn\u2019t remember the last time he was involved this lengthy, though the longtime bench boss believes he went through something similar at one point in his career.<\/p>\n Tortorella didn\u2019t need to give a second speech. He already got his team in order through the allotted intermission time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just waited it out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Added Marner: \u201c(The ice) just kind of felt like it grabbed a little bit. We were just talking about safety measures, about what we should do, but I think everyone was in the same boat of not wanting to come back here and play a third period just for that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Dominant in the third<\/p>\n Then came the start of the third, where the Knights put out the Flames, sans fire extinguisher.<\/p>\n They scored three times in the third for a 6-3 win<\/a> and improved to 2-0 under Tortorella.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get to that third period, you have a delay like you did, it\u2019s a find-a-way league,\u201d Tortorella said. \u201cYou just got to find a way to win a period.\u201d<\/p>\n Goaltender Carter Hart had the most to battle with the extra time in his first start in nearly three months.<\/p>\n Hart, who finished with 19 saves and got the win, couldn\u2019t get into his routine, so he had to channel his inner zen.<\/p>\n \u201cJust staying in it mentally,\u201d Hart said. \u201cMeditated a little bit, just staying warm, staying ready for the next puck.\u201d<\/p>\n There were nine combined shots in the third period \u2014 the Knights had six of them and scored on half of them.<\/p>\n Howden broke the 3-3 tie with 7:40 remaining, and Ivan Barbashev added a crucial insurance goal 2:39 later.<\/p>\n Marner completed his first hat trick as a member of the Knights with 1:29 left to finish 2-0-2 during their four-game homestand.<\/p>\n The eventful game went deep into the night, and the ice should be fixed by the time the Knights return home in a week to play their final two games of the regular season.<\/p>\n Now, a crucial four-game road trip awaits. A time to truly see where Tortorella has this team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just stayed with it,\u201d Tortorella said. \u201cI\u2019m happy with the way they handled themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com.<\/a> Follow @DannyWebster21<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n \t\t\t