Golden Knights soak up scenery before outdoor game at Lake Tahoe

STATELINE — There were two buses that left from the Golden Knights’ hotel Friday morning en route to the rink at Edgewood Tahoe Resort for practice.

The first one was filled to capacity. Hardly anyone remained for the second bus.

“Everyone was so excited just to get here and see everything that was going on, even though most of us came here last night and kind of checked out the facility,” right wing Reilly Smith said. “Outdoor games are few and far between, so being able to play in one, especially here at this setting, is pretty amazing.”

The Knights kick off NHL Outdoors on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche and couldn’t wait to check out the breathtaking backdrop that Lake Tahoe will provide for the event.

The rink, built on the snow-covered 18th fairway, is surrounded by pine trees and sits a slap shot away from the shore. From one end, the goaltender has an unobstructed view of the mountains and water in the distance.

There is a rustic, “Mystery, Alaska” theme throughout the facility, highlighted by a rinkside chalet for off-ice officials and team personnel made to look like it’s built from logs and stone.

Coach Pete DeBoer called it a “drop-the-mic type outdoor rink,” and many of the Knights used up every minute of their practice time to soak up the scenery, which included a rainbow in the distance.

“I think I was the first guy to get off, and we only had maybe two minutes left in our allotted time,” captain Mark Stone said. “Everybody kind of stayed out till the end. It just kind of takes everything away, what’s going on in the world right now.”

DeBoer used a portion of the one-hour session to practice three-on-three, taking players back to their childhood days of frozen toes and skating with their friends on the wide-open ice surfaces.

A handful of snowflakes flew during the practice, further adding to the ambiance.

“I know everyone, if we were allowed to, would have stayed out here all day,” Smith said.

As for the game itself, the Knights will try to bounce back from Tuesday’s last-minute 3-2 loss to the Avalanche after winning the opener of the four-game series.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will start for the Knights with Robin Lehner (upper body) not making the trip.

Boston meets Philadelphia on Sunday to cap the outdoor festivities.

“During the game, I’m sure everyone is going to be pretty locked in,” Smith said. “I think the key to the game will be try to keep things simple and quit staring at the mountains.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.