"Go back to the COVID year," Kolesar said, referring the 2020 playoffs, when there were no fans in the buildings. "It makes you realize how important fans are because when they are not in the building, it can be pretty miserable.
"So really excited to have that back in our building."
Of course, the fans alone won't push the Golden Knights to victory.
Not only will they have to clean some things up from their Game 2 loss, they may have to play without top defenseman Brayden McNabb, who was hit in the face with a slapshot at 10:52 of the first period and didn't return.
"No update," coach John Tortorella said Friday, less than 12 hours after Game 2. "He'll be traveling with us, but no update."
Unlike many previous Cup Finals, there is only one day off between Games 2 and 3 instead of two. Add in a cross-country trek and there will not be a lot of time for the players to decompress for before Game 3.
"I mean, it's difficult not to think about hockey and the Finals," Vegas forward Colton Sissons said. "We're all here for a reason and that reason is to win a Stanley Cup so it's constantly on your mind what you can do better the next game. We have a chance here to reset. Obviously, it's a quick turnaround with the travel back home and playing in not that many hours so we've got to do a good job of just resetting and recovering the best we can to have a really good start at home."
Good starts haven't equaled wins in this series. The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead in Game 1 and lost. Vegas led 2-0 midway through the third period in Game 2 before falling in overtime.
Games 1 and 2 marked the first time in all 108 Stanley Cup Finals that each team has staged a multigoal comeback win within the first two Games. The only other Final to begin with consecutive multigoal comeback wins, regardless of who won, was 2014 when the Los Angeles Kings rallied to win Games 1 and 2 against the New York Rangers.
"The sport of hockey is funny that way. I think that's why we all love it," Vegas forward William Karlsson said. "It can go either way at any time. Yeah, I feel like we have pretty good control and then some minor mistakes and it ends up in the back of the net. Just kind of ride it out all game long and hopefully not give Carolina any chances to come back. But it's hockey. It's a game of mistakes, and it's bound to happen."
Said Sissons: "I mean, it's been a lot of fun so far. Some good hockey games. Two teams going at it. Some lead changes. Yeah, that's playoff hockey right there, two good teams."
And now those two good teams will play the next two games in Vegas. Expect more mayhem, more wild crowds and more exciting, thrilling hockey.
"We're good. We're ready to play," Tortorella said. "I like a lot of things about what's gone on in the first two games. I'm not giving you specifics. I like our team, where we're at."
