2020-07-30 - Las Vegas Weekly

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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CES TRADE SHOW GOING ALL-DIGITAL FOR 2021

RESTAURANT FIGHTS TO CAP THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY FEES As the use of apps such as Postmates and Grubhub climbs during the pandemic, one Las Vegas restaurateur wants to put a cap on thirdparty delivery fees.

Tacotarian co-owner Kristen Corral says she has reached out to Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom to help draft an ordinance that would cap those fees. It’s set to be introduced at the August 4 commission meeting.

In a press release, Corral explained that prepandemic, her restaurant made a small percentage of its revenue from takeout and delivery orders.

Now, she said, “Some restaurants, including ours, are doing double or even triple the amount of takeout and delivery.”

She added that delivery apps take nearly 30% of every order placed.

In June alone, Corral wrote, Tacotarian’s Fort Apache location paid out $6,500 in delivery commission fees—which she said is double the restaurant’s monthly rent.

“It’s not sustainable,” she wrote.

In a subsequent interview with the Weekly, Corral further explained her concept. “A lot of customers really have no idea that small businesses are being gauged,” Corral said, suggesting that a 10% cap is more reasonable. “It can mean the difference between paying rent and being evicted.”

The best thing customers can do for now to help small businesses, Corral says, is to order from a restaurant directly.

She set up a petition at tacotarianlv.com/ capdeliveryfees.

–Leslie Ventura

Game officials Isaac Barnett (16), Dannica Mosher, center, and Eric Brewton (55) talk on the court during a July 26 game between the Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces in Bradenton, Florida.

(Phelan M. Ebenhack/ Associated Press)

NEVADA SCRAPS PHASES, TAKES NEW APPROACH TO REOPENING

THEY SAID IT

■ “The GOP coronavirus bill has $1.75b for a new FBI building in its present location so as to block a potential competitor to the Trump Hotel, and 100% deduction for business meals (which would benefit Trump’s hotels). But not a cent for safe and secure elections this November.” –Political commentator Bill Kristol, July 27 on Twitter ■ “The NBA loves Las Vegas. I expect an NBA team over the next few years.” –Jim Murren, former CEO of MGM Resorts International, on July 28

Nevada is ditching its phased reopening strategy to bring back the economy following the coronavirus closures, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced July 27.

Stuck in the second phase of the reopening since May 29, and with about 1,000 daily COVID-19 cases being reported, the state ■ “[Dr. Anthony Fauci will pivot to a new long-term recovery plan, Sisolak said. He ofhas] got this high apfered slim details on the proposal, which he said will be fully proval rating, so why unveiled soon. don’t I have a high He said the plan will include enforcement measures that could approval rating … and close businesses with a “pattern of noncompliance” with the facethe administration with covering mandate. Noncompliant resorts, he said, could have all or respect to the virus? … part of their properties closed for a “period of time.”

They’re highly thought Sisolak said the plan will involve “targeting specific businesses of, but nobody likes that may be experiencing outbreaks [instead of] industries as a me. It can only be whole.” my personality, that’s He said bars in Clark, Washoe, Elko and Nye counties will remain all.” –President Donald closed, but those in Humboldt, Lander and Lyon counties can Trump, July 28 immediately reopen. He didn’t indicate how the new plan would affect capacities at businesses, where indoor restaurants, for instance, are limited to parties of six.

If residents do not follow procedures to keep others safe, there need to be “consequences,” he said without being specific of the penalties.

“To put it bluntly, the time for education is over,” he said. “Businesses, Nevadans and visitors should all be familiar with the expectations of reduced indoor capacity, required face coverings and social distancing. We are close to five months in — no more excuses.”

The governor said he did not want to speculate about further business closures, including for casinos, although he said casinos were being monitored. –John Sadler

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1 THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

COVID-19 IN MLB Major League Baseball suspended the Miami Marlins’ season through August 1 because of their worsening coronavirus outbreak. At press time, 16 Marlins players and two staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB would forge ahead despite the outbreak.

CES, one of the largest annual conventions in Las Vegas, will go alldigital for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced July 28.

“With the growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” the Consumer Technology Association said in a statement.

The group said it plans to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022, combining “the best elements of a physical and digital show.”

CES 2021 was supposed to be the first trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center after a $980 million expansion project.

In May, organizers said they planned to go ahead and hold some events in Las Vegas next year, but the thinking changed as COVID-19 cases spiked around the world, Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro said.

This year’s tech industry show attracted more than 4,500 companies and over 170,000 attendees.

–Sun Staff

2 UNEMPLOYMENT BUG Nevada unemployment officials said July 28 that they were fixing a computer error that caused some claimants to miss an extra $600 in federal benefits. The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said all payments would be caught up.

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

IN THIS ISSUE

12 22 24 30 32 36 X 38

Cover Story: The NHL’s back, and the Knights are aiming for the Cup Binge This Week: Our staff’s latest round of pop culture picks 5-Minute Expert: Sorting through streaming music services Scene: Local arts organizations stay busy online Food & Drink: Raku Toridokoro, plus Casa Dragones Sports: How best to bet the NHL’s newlook playoffs Vegas Inc: Checking the temperature of local real estate

WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD EVENTS TO FOLLOW AND NEWS YOU MISSED

Showgirls perform during a reopening ceremony for Bally’s at the casino’s porte-cochere on July 23.

The casino opened for the first time since March following a closure to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

RAIDERS’ CLASS SIGNED The Las Vegas Raiders signed their entire draft class, announcing deals with all seven picks July 25. The rookies all took tests for COVID-19 earlier in the week. The terms for wide receiver Henry Ruggs, the team’s first pick, were four years, $16.67 million with a $9.7 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option.

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BIG WIN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT The Great American Outdoors Act garnered bipartisan support July 22, passing the House and Senate with sweeping margins. The legislation secures funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and will help fund repairs of deteriorating infrastructure on public lands.

VIRUS TESTING FACILITY OPENING Health and hospital officials said they’ve closed the Texas Station coronavirus testing site to replace it with an indoor operation Downtown at Cashman Center, which will open August 4. They also introduced a five-day waiting period following negative test results, unless symptoms of COVID-19 appear.

GARTH POSTPONES Country star Garth Brooks’ planned August 22 Las Vegas tour stop—intended to be the first concert at new Allegiant Stadium—has been rescheduled for February 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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GIVE YOURSELF A BOOST THREE WAYS TO KEEP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN TOP SHAPE

BY LESLIE VENTURA

( Co

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oosting our immune system to help us fight But isn’t that counterproductive? disease and illness more effectively is cruCoogan says the production of free radicals is cial, pandemic or no. Eating healthy, along “a normal occurrence,” and explains why nutriwith exercising regularly and engaging in tion before and after a workout is critical “to help stress-relieving activities, are critical. fight off those free radicals after your exercise ses“Through a balanced, varied diet, you can imsion, and to help recover and repair the stressed prove your immune system by consuming antioxand damaged muscle tissue.” idant-rich foods and phytochemicals, or chemical Again, Coogan assures this is all completely compounds of plant origin,” explains Samantha M. normal, and even beneficial. “The more we Coogan, director of the Didactic Program expose our bodies to that type of external in Nutrition and Dietetics at UNLV. stimulus, it requires the body to react Coogan says that “antioxidants every time,” she says. “Each time, fight off free radicals,” which, it will adapt more quickly and according to MedicalNewsToreadily.” day.com, “are unstable atoms Finding a safe way to exthat can damage cells,” ercise during the pandemic which can lead to potential can present its difficulties, infection. “When these especially in the summer cellular linings are broken when living in the desert. or disrupted, foreign matter Lifting weights at home, folor waste products can potenlowing a yoga instruction video tially enter the cell and attack the on YouTube and hiking are just a organelles and cell as a whole,” few ways to incorporate activity Samantha M. Coogan, Coogan says, adding that such into your daily routine. director of the Didactic Program antioxidants as vitamins A, C and Another advantage of exerin Nutrition and Dietetics at UNLV E, along with copper, selenium cise: its role in alleviating stress, and zinc, are beneficial in helping to prevent these which can wreak havoc on the immune system. kinds of attacks on cells.

“Neurotransmitters and stress hormones are While people often turn to supplements to get released in direct response to external stimuli, antioxidants and vitamins, Coogan doesn’t recomwhether it be physical stress—like exercise or mend them. “Food first,” she says, followed by physical trauma—or mental and emotional supplements “only if necessary.” stress,” Coogan says. “Cortisol tends to be one of

MOVE FOR HEALTH Exercise is another important factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Working out “directly affects your immune system because of the purposeful stress response you put onto the body,” Coogan says, adding that when we work out, free radicals are produced.

the biggest culprits when it comes to stress, which also hinders weight management or loss, because cortisol increases fat around the organs,” known as visceral fat. While other stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine are responsible for the “fight or flight” response, cortisol is the main obstacle when it comes to weight maintenance and our stress response, Coogan says.

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EXERCISE FOR THE MIND

FOODS RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS So you want to boost your immune system, but you’re not sure what to eat. Samantha M. Coogan, director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics at UNLV, has some recommendations. Next time you’re at the grocery store, load up on the following: ■ red, orange and yellow produce ■ citrus fruits ■ berries ■ green, leafy vegetables ■ squashes ■ gourds ■ eggplant

For more information on micronutrients, Coogan suggests visiting the National Institutes of Health’s nutrient recommendation page at bit.ly/3eZnEHi.

■ garlic ■ onion ■ leeks ■ seafood ■ meat ■ eggs ■ milk ■ nuts ■ green tea

People are more stressed now than ever before, but even during a pandemic, we can incorporate stress-relieving activities into our daily lives.

One way to reduce stressful responses: Give yourself something on which to focus.

“Stimulating your brain can help stave off stress, especially if you try something new,” Coogan says, although she clarifies that doing something familiar can be just as effective.

“Find something unrelated to work, school, the pandemic or what’s going on around the world right now, and find something that brings you happiness and puts a smile on your face,” Coogan says. The health expert recommends video games, a comforting TV show or movie, reading, meditation, puzzles, yoga, brain teasers, painting, adult coloring books, an instrument, knitting or learning a new skill.

Coogan says that during the pandemic, she picked up embroidery as a new hobby.

“I’m so in love with it,” she says. “I am a very detail-oriented person, and getting lost in the intricacies of the patterns and the way the threads come together to form this beautiful work of art produces very happy hormones and brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction in the work I’ve done. I can get lost in it for hours as I give all my attention to the detail of the pattern, with my favorite music playing or a comedy special on in the background.”

Coogan says the activity doesn’t have to be intricate or complicated—or “produce” anything. “If it has a positive benefit to you, keep doing it,” she says. “If you’ve mastered that boss level 100 times, but each time you do it, it makes you feel good, then keep doing it.

If sitting on the couch for nine hours straight binge-watching See with Jason Momoa brings you joy and fulfillment for that day, despite no productivity in the traditional sense, that’s also OK,” Coogan says, adding that she may or may not have done that herself.

“Vegging out,” she says, is still a way of taking control of stress. “Just don’t let yourself get lost in your own silence or your own head,” Coogan says, warning that can trigger even more stress. It’s all about moderation and finding healthy habits.

“Make sure to switch up what you’re doing,” she says—and maybe don’t binge-watch Netflix every single day.

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C r e at e d a n d p r e s e n t e d b y

HOMie

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Traditional agents

Using a traditional agent is what most people think of when they first envision the selling the process. There are advantages to selling with a traditional agent—but saving money is typically not one of them. While most agents will help you market, stage and manage the home-selling process, it comes at the high cost of commission. Depending on the terms of the offer, sellers may be responsible for both their agent’s commission as well as the buying agent’s commission—typical agent commissions are 6%. Having an agent’s touch may command a higher offer, but you may not actually net more after commission costs.

Homie

Real estate company Homie offers sellers the ability to use a full-service agent, with all the associated benefits but without the commission costs. The company reports that on average, they’re able to save sellers $10,000 per transaction by offering a flat listing fee compared with commission-based model.

Middleman buying companies

Companies such as Opendoor and Offerpad make cash offers directly to sellers, bypassing most of the other mainstays of home listing. These types of companies may be helpful for people who want to sell quickly, but you’ll still be paying a higher commission and the offer may not be as competitive as an offer you might get when listing on the market.

Discount brokerages

There are many types of discount brokerages, some with flat-fee listing policies, low-fee listing or reduced conditional fees. Discount brokerages save money, but many do so at the expense of service and marketing.

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“I think it’s important for a lot of people’s mental health to get back to following something and have something to plan for the next day, for families to watch a game or watch some type of sport.”

–Robin Lehner

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THE NHL P L AYO F F WHAT DO FOR THE

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IS BACK, WITH NEW AND SAFETY PROCEDURES. ES IT ALL MEAN VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS?

BY JUSTIN EMERSON We’ve finally made it. The Vegas Golden Knights are back. ¶ Right now, 24 NHL teams are split up in two Canadian hub cities—Western Conference franchises in Edmonton and Eastern Conference squads in Toronto—playing games for the first time in nearly five months. ¶ The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the season indefinitely in March, but the NHL and NHL Players’ Association worked hard to create a return-to-play format. It’s a lot different than what we’re all used to, so don’t fret if you’re feeling lost right now. ¶ We’ve got answers to the questions you might have, and how it all affects the Vegas Golden Knights.

■ HOW WILL THIS WORK?

ice

Give it two weeks, and everything will look similar to the traditional playoff setup, with eight teams in each conference advancing through best-of-seven series before two teams square off in the Stanley Cup Final.

Apart from the centralized locations and the games being played without fans, the only other difference from the traditional playoff format is a “qualifying round.” Because the season paused after teams had played about 70 of their scheduled 82 games (the Golden Knights made it through 71), the NHL opened the restart to all clubs that had any realistic shot at reaching the postseason. That meant eight extra teams—four each from the Western and Eastern conferences.

To accommodate them, the NHL has added what amounts to a play-in round to its postseason. Eight teams in each conference will try to win a best-of-five series to advance to the conference quarterfinals, with the top four Western and Eastern teams receiving a bye.

The Golden Knights are among the teams exempt from that qualifying round. They’ll instead play a round robin against the other top three teams in the West—the Dallas Stars (August 3), St. Louis Blues (August 6) and Colorado Avalanche (August 8)—to determine seeding. Two points will be awarded for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and those results could prove important. The NHL will reseed for every round this postseason, so No. 1 would seemingly have a clearer path to the final than No. 4 would.

The round-robin games will be played under regular-season overtime rules—a five-minute extra period followed by a shootout—but all other games will employ the standard playoff format: 20-minute overtimes and no shootouts.

Photographs by John Locher/AP Photo/ Photo Illustration

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■ WILL ANY OTHER ON-ICE RULES BE DIFFERENT?

Nope. Expect the same physicality and intensity of a typical NHL postseason.

■ WILL ALL GAMES BE PLAYED IN EDMONTON AND TORONTO? Initially, then Edmonton will become the lone site once it’s down to four final teams, hosting both conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final.

The Western Conference team that reaches the championship series will have lived in Edmonton for nearly three months by the time the competition wraps up in mid-October.

“Maybe an adult coloring book.

I’ve been doing so much coloring over the break. It’s a skill of mine I’m going to have to stay on top of.” –Jon Merrill, on what he’s bringing to the Edmonton hub

■ THE OILERS AND MAPLE LEAFS ARE IN THE POSTSEASON, SO WON’T THEY HAVE A HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE?

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They’ll be playing at home, but it’s uncertain whether that will provide an advantage, considering games will be played without fans in the arenas … at least initially.

The NHL hasn’t ruled out allowing some fans in for later rounds, but that will depend on how the pandemic progresses in the weeks ahead.

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(David Becker/AP Photo)

■ WHAT SAFETY PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE? A lot. The NHL posted a 28-page document detailing protocols and scenarios on its website, and here are some key points: ■ Teams are permitted a total of 52 personnel, including 31 players plus coaches and front office and support staff.

■ Players will live alone for at least the first three rounds. The hope is that their families can join the hub for the conference finals.

■ Players are tested for coronavirus nightly, with results expected to be available the following morning.

■ A positive test will send a player to quarantine in his hotel room until he’s deemed safe to return, which involves multiple negative tests and an isolation period.

■ The NHL or Players’ Association can request that the playoffs be halted if either side believes “commencement or continuation of play would likely create a material risk to player health and safety and/or jeopardize the integrity of the competition.” There’s no specific number of positive tests that would trigger an automatic stoppage.

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“It’s easy to sit on the couch when you’re home 24/7 and snack on things and kind of get carried away. So what I incorporated was ordering Cold Stone on Wednesdays and Sundays only. I tried to stick to that as much as possible.”

–Zach Whitecloud

■ CAN THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WIN THE STANLEY CUP?

(Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

Absolutely. By the odds, they actually have the best chance: The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook lists Vegas at 6-to-1 to win it all.

That makes sense. When the season paused, the Golden Knights were among the hottest teams in the league, having won 11 of their previous 13 games, catapulting to the top of the Pacific Division.

Vegas is a complete team, with one of the best top-six forward groups in the NHL led by Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, a tremendous goaltending duo in MarcAndré Fleury and Robin Lehner, and an emerging star on the blue line, Shea Theodore.

Still, it’s important to remember that anything can happen in the wild world of the NHL Playoffs. The Knights were among last year’s favorites and failed to advance past the first round. But look over the roster and it’s apparent Vegas is a primary contender to win the most unorthodox Stanley Cup playoffs of all time.

VGK SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 30 Exhibition vs. Arizona, 7 p.m. (NHL Network/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

Monday, August 3 Round robin vs. Dallas, 3 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

VGK

Thursday, August 6 Round robin vs. St. Louis, time TBD (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

Saturday, August 8 Round robin vs. Colorado, time TBD (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

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SHEA HEY! * * * * *

The Golden Knights’ rising defensive star reflects on an emotional, enormous year

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hen the NHL put its season on indefinite hiatus and instructed players to selfquarantine in mid-March, Shea Theodore faced an important decision—retreat to his Vancouver condo or lock down in his suburban Vegas home.

The Golden Knights defenseman discussed the options with his girlfriend, and it didn’t take them long to come to a decision. They were staying. “I’ve got a big yard for the dog to run around,” Theodore says. “It’s definitely a comfortable life here.”

Theodore has lived in the Valley for less than three years, yet he’s already tethered to Las Vegas.

He’s one of the increasingly few “Golden Misfits” remaining on the roster from the team’s memorable first-year run to the Stanley Cup Final, and when all is said and done, he’s a solid bet to be the last one standing.

Always seen as an important structural piece of the Golden Knights’ future, the 24-year-old Theodore transcended to something else entirely in 2019-2020. During a regular season that saw Max Pacioretty rack up 66 points in 71 games while earning an All-Star berth and Mark Stone continue to display his unique set of two-way skills, a strong argument could be made that Theodore was the Golden Knights’ single most valuable player.

Continued success for Theodore—who spent 158 more minutes on the ice than any of his teammates this season—will be essential for the Knights if they hope to advance deep into the NHL’s 2020 postseason.

Before his second season in Las Vegas, Theodore signed a seven-year, $36.4 million contract extension with the Golden Knights. It remains a cherished moment for the British Columbia native.

“Signing that long-term extension, that’s all I ever wanted,” Theodore says. “I wanted to be here. I wanted to be that guy for this organization.”

The svelte, 6-foot-1, 183-pound Theodore has always been easygoing and soft-spoken, a walking contradiction to the burly-defenseman, hockeyjock stereotype. Replace the trademark gap in his mouth where his far-right incisor used to hang, and few might even suspect he’s a hockey player. But, he says, his harrowing health scare has led him to become more reflective in the months since.

In May 2019, at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Slovakia, Theodore failed a performance-enhancing drug test. It turned out to be a lucky break. He hadn’t taken illicit substances; unbeknownst to him, he had testicular cancer, and his elevated hormone hCG levels had triggered the test result.

Caught early, the lump was removed through a quick procedure, leaving Theodore cancer-free and with enough time to recover for the following season. Still, it was a traumatic experience, Theodore says, one that changed his perspective. “It gave me a different outlook for sure.”

Theodore resolved not to let any opportunity pass him by on the ice, and in that objective he has succeeded wildly. Despite a regular season shortened by 11 games, Theodore set career highs in goals (13), assists (33) and points (46). Perhaps the greatest testament to his game is the way he has elevated the play of those around him. Efficiency metrics rise for all of Theodore’s teammates when they share ice time with him, especially his defensive-pairing partner.

Most frequently this season, that was Nick Holden, who went from a healthy scratch in the

final six games of 2018-2019 to a key contributor this year. He and Theodore were a bright spot in what had largely been a trying first two months this season, a span that ultimately resulted in the ouster of the franchise’s first coach, Gerard Gallant.

Perhaps more than any Golden Knight, Theodore benefitted from the arrival of replacement Peter DeBoer, known for building his attack around offensive defenseman Brent Burns in San Jose. But DeBoer says he had no master plan to make Theodore a focal point when he took the job. Rather, the young defenseman’s ability dictated it. “[At] both ends, he’s better than advertised, better than I probably gave him credit for standing on an opposing bench,” DeBoer says. “Offensively, I thought he really took off prior to the pause and was a constant threat when he was on the ice. And defensively, he’s way better than people give him credit for. “[Plus], he’s still a young player, so he’s obviously adding layers to his game every year.”

DeBoer has turned Theodore into the Golden Knights’ workhorse, often sending him to the ice on every other shift, while increasing his average ice time by 1:30 per game. And Theodore has looked quite capable of keeping up with that increased responsibility. He says fatigue hasn’t been a problem … at least not during games.

“It wouldn’t hit me until an hour or two after the game,” Theodore says, “I’m lying in bed, and I’m like, ‘Holy smokes, my legs are just roasted.’”

DeBoer wasn’t the only Vegas newcomer who had a dramatic effect on Theodore, he says. Alec Martinez’s arrival at the trade deadline, derided by many given the veteran’s declining stats for Los Angeles, provided Theodore with a new blue line partner.

Martinez immediately began producing at a higher clip, and “Marty” also quickly became one of Theodore’s closest friends on the team.

The two FaceTimed almost daily throughout quarantine after Martinez headed back to his home in LA, and now, the two are so tight, their teammates jokingly refer to them in group texts as “Brad and Chad,” a nod to an old meme poking fun at two fraternity brothers.

“Just two meatheads hanging out, that’s kind of our thing,” Theodore laughs. “We’ve just been rolling with it.”

Part of the punch line, of course, stems from how far removed Theodore is from a meathead.

He didn’t occupy his lockdown time itching to get back to the nightclub scene or installing kegs of beer at his house.

Mostly, Theodore spent the past several months quietly, with his girlfriend and Brucey, a golden retriever the couple added to their family just before

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the season began.

Theodore says he’d always wanted a dog growing up, but it was impractical for his family to care for one while constantly traveling to junior hockey events.

After settling down and finding a home, Theodore longed for a pet—not only for himself, but so his girlfriend could have a companion while he was on the road.

Theodore says he looked at 2020’s unforeseen hockey break as a way to bond with Brucey. On many nights, he’d take his pet on long walks and reflect on his experiences with the Golden Knights— and what might still be ahead with them.

“There were definitely a lot of times I would just look back,” Theodore says. “At this point, I just think you can’t take anything for granted. Just appreciate every day that you’ve got.”

Shea Theodore (Photographs by John Locher and David Becker/AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

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Head coach Peter DeBoer talks with the Golden Knights during practice at City National Arena on July 13. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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STANLEY CUP CHAMPS*

BY CASE KEEFER

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sterisk debates are the bed bugs of the sports world. No matter how many times you try to kill them, they keep surfacing.

The NHL’s altered playoff format is the latest victim of their attack, with some pundits suggesting that this year’s eventual winner should by default sit in the bottom tier of hockey champions throughout history. It’s a preposterous assertion that should be extinguished immediately.

The Stanley Cup that will be awarded after nearly three months of play in Edmonton and Toronto will not be tainted in any way. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said it best: “Whoever wins it will have earned it.”

Of course, Golden Knights players won’t admit to looking that far ahead and contextualizing what a title in the coronavirus-interrupted 2019-2020 season might mean, but it has surely crossed their minds. That’s because they’re quietly confident, knowing they have a realistic shot of becoming champions.

Check out the future odds at any sportsbook in the world, and the Golden Knights are a top-three favorite—along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins—at prices ranging from 5- to 9-to-1.

Notably, the betting lines on the top teams lengthened at some sportsbooks when news of the NHL’s expanded playoff plan became public.

Should winning the NHL’s iconic prize mean any less in 2020?

That should be telling. It means that if anything, winning this year’s Stanley Cup will be harder than ever before.

Inviting eight additional teams into the bracket inherently increases variance. Laugh all you want about the mediocre Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks (the latter of whom will start former Vegas backup Malcolm Subban in net), but every team skews probability, even if it’s only by a fraction of a percent.

In a way, typically hopeless teams will also be competing on a more level playing field. Those with better regular-season records—like the Golden Knights—fought all season for home-ice advantage in the playoffs, which they’ll no longer have. A strong argument can be made that, behind only goalie Marc-André Fleury, the key factor in Vegas’ 2018 Stanley Cup Final run was T-Mobile Arena emerging as one of the league’s toughest venues. The Golden Knights won’t have that on their side in these playoffs.

With games played minus fans, no team will.

Being unable to celebrate with anyone beyond a few dozen teammates and club personnel looks like the biggest downside to winning this year.

The champs taking the Cup on its traditional lap around the ice in front of 18,000 empty seats at Rogers Place, likely with generic crowd noise piped in for television audiences, will surely feel bizarre. But maybe it won’t be as weird as we think.

Remarkably, the past five Stanley Cup champions have won the deciding game on the road.

Alexander Ovechkin didn’t seem to mind that the majority of the crowd hit the exits after his Capitals beat the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Of course, the Caps did receive an appropriate celebration when they arrived back in Washington, D.C. It’s a bummer that, with mandatory social distancing likely for the foreseeable future, this year’s champion won’t get their own version of that. Visions of a championship parade down the Strip—Nate Schmidt grinning wildly, Ryan Reaves spraying his 7Five suds around and Fleury pranking distracted teammates—have helped make daydreaming about a Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup victory so exciting.

But such scenes are off the table amid a pandemic. Sure, some fans would whine over the lack of festivities—and some might even try to skirt safety protocols and organize rogue gatherings—but that would be unwise, for obvious publichealth reasons.

Whatever happens on the ice, the best way to proceed as fans might be to just embrace the strangeness of the format. As DeBoer says, “People are going to remember who won this Stanley Cup.” And to those who insist on talking asterisks, how about this one: *Team navigated toughest playoff setup in NHL history.

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ALL IN TOGETHER NOW

How the Golden Knights’ midseason acquisitions bonded with the rest of the roster during the shutdown

BY JUSTIN EMERSON Physical distance was the only way the Golden Knights were separated throughout an NHLmandated self-quarantine period that lasted more than a month.

Otherwise, players say they never felt far apart, as teamwide calls and other forms of communication occurred almost daily.

That constant contact came as a particular relief to those who had recently joined the team, like Nick Cousins. The forward had only come to Vegas two weeks before the shutdown courtesy of a trade-deadline deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

After going through both the coronavirus pause and ensuing two-week training camp with his new team, he says he now feels more like a Golden Knight than he did while playing briefly in the spring. “I feel like I’ve been here for the whole season, because the guys have been really good to me,” Cousins says.

He’s not the lone new face.

Goalie Robin Lehner was acquired via trade with Chicago on the same day as Cousins’ deal.

Defenseman Alec Martinez came from the Los Angeles Kings a week earlier. Even Chandler Stephenson, whom Vegas received in a December trade with Washington, just experienced his first Golden Knights camp.

The July training camp was also coach Peter DeBoer’s first with Vegas. He was hired by the team in January, with players forced to learn his systems on the fly. The Golden Knights did so admirably, rattling off eight

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straight wins shortly after his arrival and eventually winning the Pacific Division. They report that recent practices have helped to cement DeBoer’s strategies. “It was nice to come back and get in the swing of things,” Stephenson says.

Stephenson stayed in Las Vegas during the pause, rooming with Ryan Reaves. Lehner packed up a few things from Chicago and spent most of the time in Las Vegas. Cousins returned to Canada for a stretch.

Martinez opted to hunker down in his LA home rather than a local hotel, but like Cousins, he says he used the time away to become one of the guys.

“It didn’t really matter where we were,” Martinez says. “We weren’t allowed to hang out, so phones and FaceTime and texting and all that went a long way just to keep in touch.”

Almost the entire team returned to Las Vegas for smallgroup workouts when permitted at the beginning of June and had perfect attendance among veterans at the start of training camp on July 13.

There are no strangers anymore. Everyone on the Golden Knights is united by a common goal to win the Stanley Cup, something they surely discussed during all those hours logged on video chat during quarantine. “I think [everyone] knows how this is a good opportunity for this team, [that] it has a really strong chance of going far,” Lehner says. “Everyone’s been committed.”

(John Locher/Isaac Brekken/David Becker/AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

VGK anthem voice Carnell Johnson sings in Downtown Summerlin

BY BROCK RADKE Hockey will be a lot different for Vegas fans this week, but if it helps to see a familiar face—and hear his familiar voice—VGK diehards can head to Wolfgang Puck Players Locker in Downtown Summerlin on Wednesday nights. There’s a weekly performance on the patio from acoustic duo Coverlane, consisting of singers Lynnae Meyers and Carnell Johnson.

Johnson is best known as the most frequent National Anthem singer for Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena. The Vegas-born singer and musician nicknamed “Golden Pipes” instantly became a fan favorite the first time he sang at the Fortress, especially since he paused at the end of the line, “Gave proof through the night,” so the hometown crowd could scream “Knight!”

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“I was definitely in the right place at the right time on that one,” Johnson says of the anthem gig and how it opened doors for his career. “I had friends and co-workers who had gone to games, and when I told them I’d be singing the national anthem, they [told me how] everybody yells it. I hadn’t been to a game before I sang. I thought, if they’re gonna yell it, why do I need to sing it? I can take a nice breath there.”

The rest is Vegas sports history.

Johnson has been focusing on Coverlane during the entertainment shutdown and is hoping to expand on the Downtown Summerlin gig when conditions allow.

“It’s been exactly what the people want and need right now, just some form of live music they can enjoy [while] socially distancing at the same time,” he says.

(Steve Marcus/Staff) Listen to our podcast interview with Carnell Johnson at bit.ly/2WP5guA.

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SIZING UP THE COMPETITION A refresher on the teams Vegas could face in the Western Conference playoffs

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Up first for the Golden Knights: a July 30 exhibition game against the Arizona Coyotes, followed by round-robin contests against the Dallas Stars (August 3), St. Louis Blues (August 6) and Colorado Avalanche (August 8).

After that? It’s anyone’s guess. With the round-robin results determining seeding, the Golden Knights could match up with any of the non-roundrobin Western Conference teams in the first round. From there, with reseeding every round, the possibilities remain endless. No one can be counted out as a potential opponent, so let’s review the conference’s other 11 playoff teams in the West, listed in order of their seed heading into the tournament.

“Being a father is a whole new experience, the best thing so far that’s happened to me in my life. It was one of the positive things of this current thing, [spending] more time with him.” –Tomas Nosek, on his son, born in January

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■ ST. LOUIS BLUES The defending Stanley Cup champs aren’t giving up the title without a fight. They were the best regular-season team in the West this year, and the only team Vegas has never beaten in regulation.

Player to watch: David Perron. The former Golden Knight continues to produce for St. Louis, sitting tied for the team lead with 25 goals.

VGK record against this season: 2-1 (even goal differential).

■ COLORADO AVALANCHE No team has beaten down Vegas quite like Colorado. The Avalanche are fast and led the Western Conference in goals this season with solid goaltending and defense around their potent offense.

Player to watch: Nathan MacKinnon. He’s a Hart Trophy finalist this year, but has only one goal (to go with seven assists) in eight all-time meetings against the Golden Knights.

VGK record against this season: 0-2 (-9 goal differential).

■ DALLAS STARS They won’t score a ton, but they won’t give up much, either. Goalie Ben Bishop backstops perhaps the best defensive scheme in the Western Conference.

Player to watch: Miro Heiskanen. At 20 years old, he’s the future for Dallas’ defensive unit after a breakout year that saw him finish second on the team in assists behind star Tyler Seguin.

VGK record against this season: 1-1 (-1 goal differential).

■ EDMONTON OILERS The Oilers have a twoheaded monster: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Stopping them is unlikely, so opponents’ best formula is to focus on thoroughly beating the other 21 players on the roster.

Player to watch: McDavid. He’s the best player in the world and can control a game on his own. He has 15 points in 10 career games against Vegas.

VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+2 goal differential).

■ NASHVILLE PREDATORS The Predators made it to the Cup Final as recently as 2017. Even in a relative down year, they’ll be a tough out thanks to stingy defense and solid goaltending.

Player to watch: Roman Josi. He’s a finalist for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman, and paired with Ryan Ellis, forms arguably the NHL’s best blue line.

VGK record against this season: 2-0 (+4 goal differential).

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“He likes to do some of ABBA’s greatest hits. We listen to a lot of ’70s and ’80s together … we like to jam out and sing out to those, a lot of car jams. Worst?

I’ve never heard him rap, probably for a good reason.

–Oscar Dansk, on living with William Karlsson during quarantine

Vegas Golden Knights 6-to-1 Boston Bruins 7-to-1 Tampa Bay Lightning 7-to-1 Colorado Avalanche 8-to-1 St. Louis Blues 10-to-1 Philadelphia Flyers 12-to-1 Toronto Maple Leafs 12-to-1 Washington Capitals 12-to-1 Dallas Stars 14-to-1 Pittsburgh Penguins 18-to-1 Edmonton Oilers 30-to-1 Nashville Predators 40-to-1 Arizona Coyotes 50-to-1 Calgary Flames 50-to-1 Carolina Hurricanes 50-to-1 New York Rangers 50-to-1 Vancouver Canucks 50-to-1 Winnipeg Jets 50-to-1 Minnesota Wild 60-to-1 Florida Panthers 80-to-1 New York Islanders 80-to-1 Chicago Blackhawks 100-to-1 Columbus Blue Jackets 100-to-1 Montreal Canadiens 100-to-1 (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook odds at press time)

■ VANCOUVER CANUCKS An afterthought coming into the year, the young Canucks have matured ahead of schedule and actually led the Pacific Division for stretches of the season. The Golden Knights have never lost to the Canucks in regulation in franchise history.

Player to watch: Elias Pettersson. He used elite possession numbers during the regular season to bolster a dark horse MVP campaign that saw him rack up 66 points in 68 games.

VGK record against this season: 1-0-1 (+2 goal differential).

■ CALGARY FLAMES Calgary might be breathing a sigh of relief that Las Vegas wasn’t chosen as a hub city, since the Flames are winless in six all-time trips to T-Mobile Arena.

Player to watch: Elias Lindholm. He might not be the first player who comes to mind when most consider Calgary’s talented forward group, but he did lead the team with 29 goals this season.

VGK record against this season: 3-0 (+12 goal differential).

■ WINNIPEG JETS The Jets were one of the worst possession teams in the NHL this year but still beat the Golden Knights twice before the season paused.

Player to watch: Connor Hellebuyck. He should win the Vezina Trophy as the season’s top goalie, and has a case for MVP, too. The Jets’ skaters haven’t been great, and Hellebuyck kept them in the playoff hunt.

VGK record against this season: 0-1-1 (-5 goal differential).

■ MINNESOTA WILD A team that has always had the Golden Knights’ number, the Wild play a tight defensive game that can be perplexing.

Vegas is just 2-6 all-time against Minnesota.

Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. He might be the most underrated player in the NHL, quietly putting up elite defensive numbers and stabilizing Minnesota’s blue line.

VGK record against this season: 1-1 (-3 goal differential).

■ ARIZONA COYOTES Trades for star wingers Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel haven’t worked out the way Arizona had hoped, but the Coyotes will be hungry playing their first postseason hockey since 2012.

Player to watch: Darcy Kuemper. He’s one of the best goalies in the league when healthy.

VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+0 goal differential).

■ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Chicago traded its best goalie to Vegas at the deadline, but this is a team that could still spring an upset or two.

Player to watch: Patrick Kane. He’s stayed on a Hall of Fame path despite his team’s recent struggles. He’s also been nearly a point-per-game player in 127 career playoff games.

VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+2 goal differential).

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BATMAN MOVIES HBO Max welcomes six more live-action Batman movies on August 1. At last, we can compare Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, Bale and Affleck in real time. (Not to mention Nicholson, Ledger, Phoenix and Leto.)

HBO Max

Old Guard

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Planetary From the current glut of superhero stories has come super-antiheroes: mere humans devoted to taking down superheroes (The Boys), or self-hating superheroes destroying themselves (The Umbrella Academy). Planetary, an epic 1998-2009 comic series created by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday, goes a different way. Its characters, while wisecracking and damaged, love humanity and love dealing with monsters, aliens and weirder stuff still. (“It’s a strange world; let’s keep it that way,” goes their mantra).

While Netflix could bring Elijah Snow, Jakita Wagner and The Drummer to the screen, this series, collected in one big omnibus, is meant to be read and imagined. Wildstorm/DC, $45. –Geoff Carter

Music

Janet Jackson: The Velvet Rope It’s widely considered one of the most influential pop albums of all time, and it’s the perfect record for both reflection and hope during this time of uncertainty. Featuring Joni Mitchell on “Got ’Til It’s Gone,” Jackson’s 1997 magnum opus chronicles her experiences with domestic abuse, sexuality, losing a close friend to AIDS and more, removing the “velvet rope” barrier between herself and her fans. It’s peak Jackson—simultaneously joyful, powerful and free. –Leslie Ventura

Book

Action Park Life today is all about safety restrictions. Even if you ignore the pandemic lockdown, we live in a world of seat belts, air bags and soft, cushioned edges. Escape the guardrails by venturing into a foreign land known as 1980s New Jersey in the new book Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park. It’s co-written by Andy Mulvihill, the son of the park’s bombastic late founder, so expect inside knowledge and first-person stories of a dangerously fabulous bygone time. –C. Moon Reed

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WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS This podcast team-up you didn’t know you needed: Rapper and comedian Open Mike Eagle in loose, freewheeling conversation with acclaimed hip-hop producer Prince Paul, best known for his work with De La Soul. It’s worth hearing for the 3 Feet High and Rising anecdotes alone. bit.ly/2BzpL78

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Old Guard

Hanna

Imagine being a social justice warrior all your life and feeling like you’re not moving the needle in making the world a better place. You, too, would look as world-weary as Andy, the immortal fighter Charlize Theron plays in Old Guard. In the hands of a less capable action star, Andy would be a cliché of punches and drop kicks, but not under Theron’s watch. With cheekbones as sharp as her battle axe, she lays waste to the baddies with such brutal grace you won’t be able to take your eyes off her. Netflix. –Genevie Durano

If it feels like you’ve seen this one before—child with (mutant?) fighting skills grows up isolated in a forest, training to destroy her enemies—you haven’t until you’ve witnessed Esme Creed-Miles in the title role. Even when she’s not speaking, the young actress brings haunting expressiveness to the screen, and during two seasons (so far) she’s joined by an impressive supporting cast that includes Joel Kinnaman, Mireille Enos and Yasmin Monet Prince.

Equally recommended for fans of martial arts and family drama. Prime Video. –Spencer Patterson

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5-MINUTE EXPERT

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SOUND GARDENS

AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED ■ Cost? $9.99/month; $7.99/month or $79.99/year for Amazon Prime members ■ How many songs? 60 million ■ Can you upload music you own?

No. But music purchased through Amazon is added to your library, so if Prince’s estate has second thoughts, you can just buy Sign ‘O’ the Times and get the MP3s back that way.

Yeah, it’s not ideal.

■ Why bother? When you factor in the Amazon Prime member discount, it’s the cheapest service out there.

And hi-def streaming is available at $12.99/month for Prime members or $14.99/month—a big savings over HD champ Tidal.

MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES CAN CONNECT YOU TO YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC WHEREVER YOU GO. WHICH ONE’S BEST FOR YOU?

BY GEOFF CARTER wedish music streaming service Spotify launched in the United States in July 2011. Before that, the amount of music you could carry with you was limited to the memory of your iPod—and, coincidentally, to you remembering to take your iPod out of your gym clothes before dropping them in the wash.

Spotify, with its millions of songs (50 million, at last count), completely changed all that. It not only negated consumer need to purchase music players like iPods, but the need to purchase music itself. Seconds after signing up, Spotify spills an avalanche of songs into your lap. Just as soon as you learn of the existence of a new Haim record, you can listen to it—without commercials even, if you pay a monthly fee. ¶ The long-term impact of services like Spotify on the business of recorded music is still unfolding.

(There’s an ongoing question of artist compensation, for one thing, but we won’t go into all that now, except to say that all artists deserve to earn at least a living wage from their work.) And from a consumer standpoint, these streaming services aren’t yet perfect. They compress audio files, skimp on liner notes and album art, and, in some cases— due to licensing issues, label disputes or the reticence of individual artists—omit songs, albums or entire label catalogs. ¶ Still, we’re very close to a sonic utopia. How can a music fan hope to build a complete sound library in the cloud, one that not only includes otherwise omitted tracks but also favorite bootlegs and rarities? Amazingly, certain streaming services are taking steps to help realize that crazy dream. Here’s the current breakdown.

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APPLE MUSIC ■ Cost? $9.99/month; $99/year ■ How many songs? 60 million ■ Can you upload music you own? Yes, up to 100,000 songs.

■ Why bother? Service-only exclusive albums and tracks. Beats 1 radio and iHeart Radio streaming channels.

And if you’re deep into Apple’s walled garden, you’re probably already a subscriber.

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■ Cost? Free ■ How many songs? Nothing but what you bring to it.

■ Can you upload music you own? Yes. That’s the whole point of iBroadcast; it’s a streaming music locker that’s just for music you personally own.

■ Why bother? Again, it’s free. (A premium version, with adjustable stream quality, is in the works, but iBroadcast says the core service will remain free.)

And if you have qualms about supporting multibillionaires, this Seattle-based upstart is the way to go.

■ Cost? $9.99/month for standard audio, $19.99 for hi-def audio ■ How many songs? 60 million, with more than 250,00 music videos.

■ Can you upload music you own? No. ■ Why bother? Lossless audio. Tidal’s standard audio songs stream at 320 kbps—the same as Spotify, Apple and most everyone else—but its acclaimed hi-def option offers master-quality recording streams, a must for devoted audiophiles.

YOUTUBE MUSIC SPOTIFY ■ Cost? $9.99/month; $99/year ■ How many songs? “Over 50 million.”

Probably closer to 60, like everyone else.

■ Can you upload music you own? No. But you can use Spotify to listen to audio files stored locally on your device.

■ Why bother? With its easy-to-use interface and surprisingly intuitive artist recommendation algorithms, it remains the gold standard. There’s a good reason practically every new phone or smart device comes with Spotify baked in.

■ Cost? $11.99/month ■ How many songs? Google hasn’t released a figure, but it’s surmised to be comparable to other services.

■ Can you upload music you own? Yes, up to 100,000 songs. And if you’re using the soon-to-be inactivated Google Play Music, you can transfer all your music files to YouTube Music at once.

■ Why bother? The “YouTube” part of the equation. All mixes, bootlegs, mashups and live recordings uploaded to the video service are playable as audio tracks; you can add them to playlists. Plus: Membership includes adfree YouTube viewing.

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Guiding light

Black Camaro’s latest album plays like a channel-surfing ‘daydream’

By Leslie Ventura o hear singer, guitarist and engineer Brian Garth explain it, Black Camaro’s 16th LP, Daydream Delphi, was “loosely” conceived as a soap opera.

Back in 2016, the longtime Las Vegas indie band—comprising Garth and Tom Miller (vocals, guitar and keyboards)—was preparing for a fourday mini-residency inside the Bunkhouse. The pair wrote and recorded a theme song and hatched a “grandiose plan” for a soap opera concept, Garth says, but that vision wasn’t truly realized. “We rarely play live, and when we do, we spend so much of our headspace rehearsing,” he says. The concept was shelved.

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theme song laying around,” Garth says, plus “a bunch of leftovers” from the sessions that produced 2019 release Protocol of Dreams. Garth began assembling them into a B-sides collection when he had a realization. “I started thinking, ‘There’s a lot of great sh*t on here’,” Garth says. “‘What if this album is the soap opera?’”

Once he cut the fat from those old tracks, Garth was left with eight shiny new songs. “Nobody had heard them,” he says. “On a B-sides album, we would have just [released it as is], but once we decided this was cool as an album, we started long-distance working on them and adding new lyrics.”

Telling the tale of “the last summer ever recorded in modern history,”

Daydream Delphi encompasses “desolation, power, greed and war,” not to mention “hope, reconciliation and redemption,” according to its Bandcamp description. Sonically, the album—released digitally on July 4— harkens back to Black Camaro projects like 2008’s Pistachio Moustachio and 2009’s Radio Capricorn.

Back when Black Camaro intended its Bunkhouse shows to include acting and dialogue, the band had written scripts for each “episode” and made flyers with an episode “synopsis” to accompany each performance. Those back-burnered scripts became the foundations of Daydream Delphi.

And the cast? “We couldn’t have a lot of people hanging out,” Garth says of recording during quarantine. “I

couldn’t just call over an entire cast of characters.” So Garth and Miller enlisted a few close friends to record the old dialogue, turning the snippets of audio into four different “acts.”

Featured on the album are the voices of local musician Ted Rader — “he was along for the whole thing and was like, ‘You guys are weird’,”—Garth says. “But he did two of my favorite voices.” Vegas guitarist Kevin Kilfeather is also featured.

How does it all come together?

Strangely. It’s not exactly clear what’s happening on first listen … or a second. Garth likens the experience to channel surfing during the 1990s. “You’re flipping through the channels, and every time you hit one of these acts, it’s like you came back

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NOISE

Black Camaro’s Garth (left) and Miller (Courtesy)

around to that channel,” he says.

How did Miller feel about it? “He might deny this, but I basically forced this on him,” he laughs.

“I didn’t put up too much resistance,” Miller insists. “I composed the segues and closing theme, and that was a blast. I dig all the soap opera stuff.”

Garth created an animated intro to accompany the album, viewable at youtu.be/C2UfPuzDslE. “I was going to animate the whole thing, but making that little intro was so time-consuming,” he says.

Plus, he adds, it felt disingenuous promoting a new album during a global pandemic and growing civil rights movement. “We were supposed to drop this in the beginning of June

… but self-promotion was just out of the question at that point. There were people getting tear-gassed, and they still are today.”

Garth and Miller agreed to donate all profits from the album to two organizations: Fair Fight, a voting rights group founded by former Georgia Representative Stacey Abrams, and the West Las Vegas Arts Center, a local community art center Garth says “has been hit hard by budget shortfalls.”

“We’re not asking [people] to buy a digital release. We’re asking them to donate to two causes,” he says. “[Daydream Delphi] is just the consolation prize. You get a TV show on an album from a band that you like ... albeit a really weird one.”

blackcamaro.bandcamp.com

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Doubling Down AEG reaffirms its Vegas commitment with the Theatre at Resorts World

By Brock Radke he latest announcement from Resorts World, the Las Vegas Strip’s next megaresort slated to open in summer 2021, wasn’t at all surprising: It has partnered with AEG Presents and its Concerts West division to develop and operate the Theatre at Resorts World.

The 5,000-seat concert and entertainment venue is being designed to host superstar residencies and limited engagements from other acts, along with other special events. AEG pioneered this style of venue with the creation of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2003 and helped usher in the era of the modern headlining residency with Celine Dion’s A New Day production.

“In this business, things change rapidly when it

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comes to technology. We needed to find the right partner to make sure we are creating the most high-end, technical theater you can build today and set up for [concerts], but also for other events,” Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella said. “It’s not just a theater where we can only do concerts; there’s also sporting events. Convention guest groups can do a lot of different things in there.”

The first Vegas project from Malaysian corporation Genting Berhad, Resorts World first announced plans for the theater and other nightlife and entertainment offerings in November. Sibella said the partnership with AEG includes the facility design, event programming and the eventual

booking of artists and residencies, describing a comprehensive collaboration.

Those plans demonstrate the resort’s intent to become a prominent entertainment destination on the Strip, but the ideas coming from AEG’s side are a bit more bold. John Meglen, president and co-CEO of Concerts West, said that while the new theater hasn’t locked down any headliners yet, he believes the room will compete with the Colosseum, Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater and Park MGM’s Park Theater. And residencies are only the beginning of the venue’s potential.

“The only thing we know today is we still don’t know when live entertainment will be back,” Meglen said. “But there’s no way it goes away. What

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THE STRIP Theatre at Resorts World renderings (Sceno Plus/Courtesy)

we need to be doing now is planning for that [comeback] and be ready when it’s ready. But it’s got to be the best in class.

“Remember how the [Vegas] residencies just became a sort of 'stop by and play for a week or tour while you’re touring'? We’re going the other way again. We’re going all the way back to what made it, that first [show] with [director] Franco [Dragone] and Celine together.

We’ve got to go back to creating incredible productions, whether it comes from an artist, a Broadway type of show or a production show.

We’ve got to get creative again.”

Meglen said AEG, one of the country’s largest concert touring promoters, is still big on bringing headliners to the Strip. Once the partnership with Resorts World went public on July 16, Dion’s name rocketed to the top of the rumor list for a new residency at the theater.

The veteran entertainment executive also believes Las Vegas could accumulate even more superstar acts when pandemic circumstances subside because of the city’s many top-notch venues and the convenience for artists to sign up for residencies instead of trying to tour soon.

“In my opinion, we’re going to go through a bit of a bumpy road getting live [entertainment] back on track, but Vegas does sit in a unique situation because you can set things up in a protected situation you maintain every day,” Meglen said. That’s why AEG and Resorts World are building “the coolest place we can build … that has all the latest tech bells and whistles. That’s the best thing for us to focus on right now.”

AEG’s long partnership with Caesars Palace to run the Colosseum ran its course when competitor Live Nation took over last year.

But with the Resorts World deal and a similar partnership in place with the upcoming Virgin Las Vegas resort—to run what was the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel—AEG is in prime position to continue to shape Las Vegas entertainment in the future.

“Our timing is really good. If you look at the overall commitment to Las Vegas today, it’s pretty significant,” Meglen said. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to [owner] Phil Anschutz for being there in the very beginning and sticking with it, and the team in Las Vegas, a lot of whom have been there almost 20 years and they’re the pros. I just hope to keep their fire going.”

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ART FINDS A WAY HOBBLED BY THE PANDEMIC, THESE LOCAL CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED

Monica Johns and Michael Kaczurak in Deception at the Disco, presented by Las Vegas Little Theatre and A Touch of Mystery (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

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BY C. MOON REED he show must go on. Not since the plague closed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has that saying been so sorely tested. In this time of COVID-19, Nevada officials have curtailed most live performances to protect public health. But the Valley’s cultural arts organizations— with the help of modern technology—are working hard to survive and possibly even thrive in 2020. Here’s what some such local entities are doing to stay connected to their patrons during these crazy times. (Needless to say, all of them could benefit from your financial support.)

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A Public Fit Theatre Company In September, when A Public Fit usually debuts its new season, the theater troupe will instead debut a new podcast. Tentatively titled Behind the Buzz, the planned weekly show will include actor interviews, conversations with playwrights, behind-the-scenes stories and more.

To stay nimble, company actors have been privately reading plays on Zoom. And as soon as things are safe, the group will perform the play Sense and Sensibility, which has been held due to COVID-19. APF has even finished building the set. apublicfit.org Las Vegas Little Theatre Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned whodunnit? LVLT is partnering with A Touch of Mystery to present Deception at the Disco, a livestreamed murder mystery benefit performance, on August 1. The theater company will also present online-only encore performances of The Quarantine Monologues on July 31 and August 2. lvlt.org Las Vegas Philharmonic Stay in tune by visiting the LV Phil’s Music Connection web portal, which offers online and archival resources about music and the symphony orchestra. Kids can learn about music though the Orkidstra Online portal. And don’t miss the Phil’s MusicWise Facebook Live series, Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Join the Phil’s Music Director Donato Cabrera in conversation with special guests, including soprano Camille Zamora (August 4); pianist/composer Charlie Albright (August 11); and composers Juan Pablo Contreras and Viet Cuong (August 18). lvphil.org.

Majestic Repertory Theatre This scrappy theater on Main Street garnered national attention for its socially distanced drive-thru shows. With no traditional performances planned for 2020, Majestic is directing its focus to other outlets, such as interactive online experiences, audio dramas, Zoom readings of new plays, filmmaking and more. To keep the creative juices flowing, Majestic has launched an online fundraising account campaign.

It plans to do “at least one new project a month,” according to its Patreon page. patreon.com/majesticrep Mondays Dark Hosted by Vegas personality Mark Shunock, this benefit variety show is now livestreaming its events. Each performance benefits a different charity or nonprofit organization. Upcoming events benefit Michael’s Angel Paws (August 10), Spectrum on Ice (August 24) and Ashley Strong Fundation (September 10). Mondays Dark recently raised more than $122,000 for the Actors Fund. mondaysdark.com

Nevada Ballet Theatre Instead of performing at the Smith Center, Nevada Ballet Theatre is taking residence in your living room with its new NBT@Home platform, Focal Pointe newsletter and Dance On with NBT initiative. These programs will keep audiences connected, offer behind-thescenes stories, a look into the archives, the latest news and a way to connect with the artistic director. nevadaballet.org Poor Richard’s Players Early in the pandemic, Poor Richard’s Players hosted online Playhouse Storytime events, in which Las Vegas actors gave dramatic book readings. The troupe plans to bring back a limited run of those, and is also discussing streaming full-length shows it has been rehearsing on Zoom. Watch for updates at facebook. com/poorrichardsplayers, and donate to the company at theplayhouselv.com.

The Smith Center The performing arts center is closed indefinitely, but it’s keeping the show going on its social media accounts and website. There, young fans can watch tutorials and stories from “teaching artists,” and adults can watch Living Room Sessions—with highlights from the Composers Showcase series—on Facebook. facebook.com/pg/thesmith center/videos

Vegas Theatre Company Next month, the group formerly known as Cockroach Theatre will announce its new season, which will be livestreamed. The actors will perform in the theater space as the audience watches from home. Multiple cameras will mimic the feel of live theater. “It really captures the live experience, because we’re all there together at the same time,” Artistic Director Daz Weller says. As restrictions loosen, VTC plans to do a hybrid version with small live audiences complemented by online viewers. theatre.vegas

The Smith Center has archived Keith Thompson’s Composers Showcase performance. (Courtesy)

FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS This month Nevada Humanities, with help from the federal CARES Act and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is awarding $368,873 to 46 cultural organizations in Nevada. These CARES Emergency Relief Grants are designed to help with operating costs in the short term.

“Our cultural nonprofit organizations and their staff members are struggling, and we hope these grants will provide some much needed assistance to help pay salaries and keep the lights on around the state,” Nevada Humanities Executive Director Christina Barr said in a news release. “Our goal is to help sustain Nevada’s cultural infrastructure as much as possible, given the hurdles that we all face.”

Southern Nevada recipients include: the Mob Museum ($15,000); Dam Short Film Society ($5,000); Discovery Children’s Museum ($10,000); Jazz Outreach Initiative ($5,000); Las Vegas Natural History Museum ($15,000); Las Vegas Philharmonic ($15,000); National Test Site Historical Foundation ($15,000); Neon Museum ($15,000); Nevada Women’s Film Collective ($5,000); Poetry Promise, Inc. ($5,000); Project Real ($5,000); Vegas City Opera ($5,000); Springs Preserve Foundation ($7,500); T. Black Entertainment Inc. ($2,000); and the Smith Center ($15,000).

These grants only the scratch the surface of an arts organization’s needs. Even if your favorite entity received money from the CARES Act, they could always use—and appreciate—your further support. –C. Moon Reed

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All about the bird Chef Mitsuo Endo unveils a new specialty yakitori restaurant

By Brock Radke his is not the best time to open a new restaurant. The typical challenges have become intense, to say the least, and those obstacles don’t include the threat of being ordered to close if dining out is deemed too dangerous by the state government.

But chefs and restaurateurs are like artists—they need to create. It’s ingrained. And in some ways, the pandemic has created a different kind of fuel for their fire.

Mitsuo Endo, the James Beard Award nominee whose inimitable influence on the off-Strip dining scene began with the spectacular Aburiya Raku in 2008, unveiled his latest concept on July 3 with Raku Toridokoro, a yakitori restaurant dedicated to chicken. It’s located near the Palms in the intimate space where Endo opened Tatsujin X, a unique take on teppanyaki, last year. He has replaced Tatsujin’s flat-top grill with a robata, upon which he’s skewering and charcoal-grilling every part of the bird you can imagine … and some you probably can’t.

Toridokoro is something new for

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Endo and for Las Vegas. Some of those new restaurant challenges don’t apply to the chef, who helped develop Las Vegas Chinatown as a must-visit dining destination for locals and tourists through the original Raku and the dessert wonderland Sweets Raku, which he opened with pastry chef Mio Ogasawara in 2013.

“I didn’t have a plan for this,” he says, speaking through an interpreter, about his success and expansion in Las Vegas. “I was surprised. Compared to when I first [arrived] and now, the overall restaurant quality is

Chicken skewers being prepared over hot coals

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FOOD & DRINK Top: Beyond Onion (cooked for four hours), mushroom, baby zucchini, peppers stuffed with cheese, pumpkin and sweet potato with Irish butter; Middle: skewers of chicken parts (from left) skin, breast, cartilage, neck, gizzard, heart, liver and tail. Bottom: chicken wings (tebasaki age). (All photos by Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Chef Mitsuo Endo so high [now] and the customer’s gle farm in the LA area, where the expectations are also high.” fowl are raised for six months; most Toridokoro hones in on others can take just a month one aspect of cooking that to 12 weeks. Toridokoro’s RAKU Endo popularized locally chicken is 100 percent TORIDOKORO 4439 W. with the original Raku. organic and delivered fresh Flamingo Road, “This one is more tradialmost daily, Endo says.

702-337-6233. tional, a real Japanese yaYou can sample evMondaykitori [place]. I just wanted Saturday, 6 p.m.- erything with the chef’s midnight. to make a chicken specialty omakase menu ($75, with restaurant in Las Vegas, optional $50 or $80 sake because I didn’t see any. pairings), or take your This is the first and only chicken pick from smoky skewers of wing, restaurant.” breast, thigh, neck, gizzard, heart, All the chicken comes from a sinliver and more ($4-$5 each). There

are vegetable skewers, too, along with other dishes like deep-fried tofu ($8); Yodare Dori ($11), which is boiled chicken breast in a spicy sauce; fried chicken cartilage ($6); and the somewhat controversial Tori Tataki ($8), seared sashimi-style chicken.

The restaurant caused a bit of buzz among local foodies when images and social media posts from preview dinners indicated raw chicken would be on the menu. Endo was actually serving small slices of lightly poached chicken liver, breast and gizzard, along with a hot stone for customers

to sear the meat themselves.

As expected, Raku regulars who couldn’t wait to get back to their favorite restaurant on Spring Mountain Road have started to discover Toridokoro. Endo’s offerings are imagined as unique experiences and aren’t really built for takeout, but he says he’ll shift into a different operational mode if necessary. The original Raku has been serving a takeout menu in recent months.

“I don’t have any special problems” because of the pandemic, he says. “I’m just doing what I need to do.”

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FOOD & DRINK A NEW AGE OF

TEQUILA

CASA DRAGONES REDEFINES THE SPIRIT OF MEXICO

Casa Dragones’ “blue label” Añejo Barrel Blend (Courtesy)

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our approach.”

That approach is rooted in the meor many of us, tequila is ticulous handcrafting of each bottle, probably one of the first spirwhich begins with hand-harvested its we tried when we came agave, grown in the rich soil of the of drinking age. A staple of Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, that college campuses and the base of has been matured for seven to nine popular cocktails like margaritas years. The water, which comes from and palomas, tequila has a storied Tequila Volcano, is processed in Casa history that dates back centuries, to Dragones’ modern water treatment when the first large-scale distillery facility, which allows for the extracwas built in the town of Tequila, in tion of the right mineral profile to Jalisco, Mexico, during the 1600s. harmonize with its tequilas.

Casa Dragones Tequila, a relaThe producer has brought to tively new Mexican small-batch market three styles of tequila: Casa producer specializing in sipping Dragones Blanco, a 100% pure blue tequilas, has quickly made a name agave silver tequila that can be enfor itself as it ushers the spirit joyed on the rocks or in signainto the modern age. Its ture craft cocktails; Casa focus is on the experiDragones Joven, a blend ence of taste, in which of 100% blue agave each sip brings forth silver and extra-aged a new understanding tequila rested in of the agave plant, American oak barrels the base ingredient for five years; and in tequila, and the soil the recently debuted from which it grows.

Casa Dragones “blue “We founded the label” Añejo Barrel company in 2008 with Blend, which is aged in Casa Dragones a mission of being as two different customco-founder curious as possible and made oak barrels—the Bertha González Nieves as innovative as possiwood is sourced from ble with our own ways of working to the Bordeaux region of France, and expand the tequila repertoire, and from Pennsylvania and Missouri. to really bring and showcase tequila The Barrel Blend is an exceptionin a very different light,” says Berally smooth sipping tequila with tha González Nieves, co-founder of a stunning clarity, not unlike a Casa Dragones and the first woman Chardonnay. It has notes of nutmeg, to be named Maestra Tequilera by macadamia and blackberry up front the Academia Mexicana de Cataand a long, round finish, with notes dores de Tequila. “We believe that of cacao and black pepper lingering tequila adorers and spirit drinkers on the palate. today are more curious than ever “What we’re trying to do in this before. People are into exploring tequila is let the product invite you whiskies or single malts or tequilas to really sip and savor what we’re all or mezcals. We think that today, about,” Nieves says. “We want our the consumer really has a reperproducts to actually sing in your toire, and they pride themselves in palate and invite you to try and go showcasing their knowledge of a on this journey of taste. That’s the category. And we believe that we are complexity and balance that we’re very unique and very rebellious in trying to accomplish as producers.”

BY GENEVIE DURANO

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Casa Dragones tequilas can be found in several Las Vegas restaurants, including Elio at Encore, Zuma at the Cosmopolitan and Mas Por Favor Taqueria y Tequila in Chinatown. They are available to purchase at Total Wine, Lee’s Discount Liquor and Liquor World, and through casadragones.com.

The Watermelon Margarita Available at Encore Beach Club throughout the summer Ingredients: ■ 1 1/2 oz. Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila ■ 1 1/2 oz. fresh watermelon juice ■ 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice ■ 1/4 oz. Cointreau ■ 1/4 oz agave Method: Rim a glass with salt. Shake ingredients with ice, then carefully pour into the glass. Garnish and serve over ice.

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LV W S P O R T S 7. 3 0 . 2 0 Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman (right) and Tampa Bay’s Kevin Shattenkirk race for the puck during an NHL game on December 5. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AIMING FOR

VALUE

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YOUR GUIDE TO BETTING THE START OF THE NHL POSTSEASON

BY CASE KEEFER

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he NHL’s protracted return-to-play procedures have given sportsbooks plenty of time to offer full betting menus, and the value isn’t all gone yet.

Here are five worthwhile wagers to consider going into the qualifying round, which begins on August 1. (Odds at press time)

Calgary Flames to beat Winnipeg Jets in qualifying-round series: minus-115 (risking $1.15 to win $1) at Circa Sports The Flames are far superior to the Jets in every area except one—goaltending. Yes, that’s a big area, but it’s also a fickle one. Performance in net is notoriously tough to predict, especially in the postseason; virtually every year some unexpected goalie catches fire and leads his team deep into the bracket.

Just because Connor Hellebuyck was the best netminder in the regular season four months ago doesn’t mean he can just pick up where he left off, especially against a team with the offensive firepower of the Flames. Skater performance is typically steadier; we know the Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk are going to get their points.

The Jets rated dead last in the NHL in expected-goal-for percentage this year at 43.7%, and despite Hellebuyck’s best efforts, weren’t on pace to make the playoffs under the traditional format. They shouldn’t now be in a series priced as a coin flip against a better team.

Minnesota Wild to beat Vancouver Canucks in qualifyinground series: plus-125 (risking $1 to win $1.25) at Circa Sports The unluckiest draw of the NHL’s new 24-team postseason setup went to the Canucks. They landed in a nightmare matchup with the Wild, which employs a domineering defensive style that typically gives young, free-flowing teams like the Canucks fits. Minnesota has gone 4-2 against Vancouver in six regularseason meetings between the two

teams over the past two seasons, and there’s no reason to think this fivegame series will be any different.

The Canucks have the higher-end talents, like potential future superstars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, but the Wild have a blue line full of veteran players who have made a career out of roughing up bigger-name opponents. It’s going to take a Herculean, coming-of-age performance to get the Canucks out of the play-in round.

They might be capable, but this line implies their win probability in the series is more than 58 percent, which is way too high.

Carolina Hurricanes to beat New York Rangers in qualifyinground series: minus-125 at Circa Sports Confirmed: Recency bias can carry over after four months with no games. There’s no other way to explain this series price.

It would have been significantly higher in the Hurricanes’ favor at any point over the first five months of the season, before a Rangers’ hot streak in February drastically altered perception. New York was one of the worst teams in the league until a run in which it won nine of 10 games to get back into the fringes of the playoff conversation.

Carolina has been relatively disappointing in its own right but has consistently produced at a clip above New York and stayed ahead in the standings. Concerns about the Hurricanes’ frenetic, attacking style not working in the playoffs are also no longer valid, considering Carolina reached the eastern conference

finals last year.

Teams from major markets like the Rangers often draw undue betting action, which in turn throws off the lines, when they show signs of life. This might be the latest example.

St. Louis Blues to win Western Conference top seed: plus-180 at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook Consider this a process-of-elimination play. Three of the four teams in the Western Conference round robin to determine seeding for the round of 16 grade out as incredibly evenly-matched: the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche and the Blues. The Dallas Stars are by no means a walkover, but they’re a bit behind by any measure and lacking the offensive firepower of the top three.

The Golden Knights have probably looked like the best of the bunch under new coach Peter DeBoer, but read between the lines, and he’s hinted that he’s not overly concerned with the results of the round-robin games. DeBoer has said he’ll tinker with lineups and looks against the Blues, Avalanche and Stars to make sure the Golden Knights are at their best when the ensuing seven-game series begins.

The Avalanche have clobbered both the Golden Knights and Blues this year, but there’s some evidence that they’ve been lucky on the season as a whole. They’re five games above .500 in one-goal games and lead the NHL with a 102.1 PDO — shooting-plus-save percentage that normalizes to 100 over time.

That leaves the defending Stanley

Cup champions, who look like the biggest benefactors of the fourmonth pause. All the minutes the Blues’ players logged through the playoffs last year matter less now that they’ve had extra time to rest.

Part of St. Louis’ identity during last year’s championship run was its game-by-game intensity. The Blues couldn’t afford to take any nights off after a disastrous start of the season that at one point saw them sitting with the worst record in the Western Conference.

Expect them to bring the same level of energy to Edmonton and sit atop the Western Conference seeding.

Tampa Bay Lightning to win Stanley Cup: plus-785 at Circa Sports Past playoff disappointment isn’t predictive. Just look at the past two Stanley Cup champions: Both the Blues and especially the Washington Capitals had reputations as postseason chokers before breaking through.

Poking fun at the Lightning for its recent playoff failures has become a sport in itself for hockey fans, but these things usually don’t last forever. Behind the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, the Lightning have been the best team in the NHL over the past three years, and it hasn’t been that close when one looks over the largest sample size and doesn’t isolate for the playoffs.

It’s extremely difficult to win the Stanley Cup, and the Lightning is likely to trip up again, but Tampa is less likely to do it than any other team in the league, and the odds don’t reflect that. At most sportsbooks, the Golden Knights and Boston Bruins are listed at lower odds to win the Stanley Cup. That shouldn’t be. The Lightning are the true favorites in the NHL’s return-to-play.

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getting nervous, then we hit the lockdown. What’s happened now, partly because of a lot of California buyers coming in, is we’re rebounding.

The fear for the overall economy here—the elephant in the room—is the possibility of a second lockdown.

I think that would have a pretty devastating effect on many levels.

Southern Nevada real estate pros reinvent the way they do business during pandemic

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BY BRYAN HORWATH s the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause upheaval and uncertainty in Southern Nevada's economy, Vegas Inc takes a look at the local real estate market.

Uri Vaknin, a Downtown Las Vegas condominium developer, is a partner at KRE Capital, which, in a partnership with Dune Real Estate Partners, purchased Juhl and One Las Vegas in 2013. Combined, the buildings have several hundred condo units.

Vaknin spoke with us about the challenges the real estate market has faced, and how it has adjusted. His answers were edited for brevity and clarity.

the ability to just live an upper-middle-class lifestyle. …

About half of our sales after the onset of COVID-19 have been from Californians. We’ve seen a lot of interest from Northern California, which is new. Before COVID-19, probably about 30% of our sales were going to California people.

What’s your take on where the Las Vegas housing market is now and where it could be headed in the next few months? The market was doing great in January and February. In March, people started

Many businesses have had to adjust their business models or offerings to survive or continue to thrive during the pandemic. Has that been your experience? I hate to use the word “fun,” but it has been fun in a way, because you’ve had to reinvent yourself and become better at what you do. You have to think differently but also be open to the buyer. An interesting thing we’ve seen is that buyers expected to be getting COVID-19 pricing. They thought the economic crisis would have caused a housing crisis.

However, almost nowhere in America has that happened. According to Freddie Mac, purchase demand activity is up about 20% from a year ago. It’s the highest since 2009. With low interest rates, buyers have been put into a home-buying mood.

How is Downtown doing? What people have really liked about Downtown, especially when people were staying at home, was you could go outside and rent a bicycle and ride all over. People are certainly interested in living Downtown, where they can walk around and be around other people—socially distanced now, of course. I think there’s a feeling that there’s going to be a renewed vibrancy Downtown once everything can reopen.

As you attempt to sell condos during these economically challenging times, how has business changed? During the lockdown, we moved everything to a virtual platform. We set up 3D virtual tours of all of our available inventory and created more video material. We also started doing open houses via Zoom meetings. That’s interesting, because I think it will forever change how people buy real estate.

In the past, people would look at things online, but then they would jump in a car and run around. Now, people are expecting full-on presentations of a property. What’s been great about that is it helps to shorten the time frame of a sale, especially with out-of-town buyers.

You said you’ve noticed an influx of out-of-town buyers to Las Vegas during the pandemic.

What’s happening there? We thought that for all the people who had been thinking of moving to Las Vegas, COVID-19 would accelerate that, for all the reasons why people have traditionally moved to Las Vegas and Nevada. Those, of course, are affordability, low taxes in general, no state capital gains tax, less congestion and

Uri Vaknin, a partner at KRE Capital (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

Serving Street Tacos with Freshly Made Tortillas, Quick Bites, Margaritas and More!

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VegasInc Notes StartUpNV, a nonprofit business incubator for scalable startups, announced that entrepreneur, real estate investor and Song Sutton former Miss Nevada Lisa Song Sutton joined its advisory board. Sutton has served as a sales, retail and real estate mentor to startup founders participating in the StartUpNV program. As a member of the board, she will continue to mentor member companies while providing expertise to the StartUpNV management team, acting as a sounding board on programmatic decisions and building professional network connections.

The Lown Institute, a Brookline, Mass.-based nonpartisan think tank, used never-before-considered measures for its Lown Institute Hospitals Index to help hospitals better serve and sup-

port their communities. Based on these new measures, four Southern Nevada hospitals were listed in the top 10 hospitals in Nevada, including North Vista Hospital, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals Rose De Lima Campus, MountainView Hospital and Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center. The Index shows how nearly 3,300 hospitals nationwide compare on 42 performance indicators. The measures fall under three categories: civic leadership, value of care and patient outcomes.

Marianna Hunnicutt, a civil engineer at Kimley-Horn and Associates, received the NAIOP and Prologis Inclusion in CRE Scholarship for Hunnicutt Women and Underrepresented Professionals. The program is designed to prepare a pipeline of women and minorities for development and operations positions in

commercial real estate. Hunnicutt is one of 20 recipients in the United States.

Boulder City Fire Department hired Greg Chesser as its new deputy fire chief. Chesser has more than 34 years of experience in fire service, with Chesser more than two decades in management. He has served as a firefighter, training officer, assistant fire chief in prevention, assistant operations chief and as a fire chief for the U.S. Air Force.

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, the state agency that connects Nevadans to qualified health plans through Nevada Health Link, announced the licensed brokers/agents, navigators and in-person assisters selected as part of its plan year 2021 grant program.

The Southern Nevada brokers/ agents awarded grants are Brian Douglas, Protect Health; Brent Leavitt, Battle Born; Chris Carothers, Carothers Insurance Agency; and Alberto Ochoa, Smart Buy Insurance. In addition, seven in-person assister and navigator grantees from Southern Nevada have been

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issued awards: Asian Community Development Council, Asian Community Resource Center, Access to Healthcare Network, Nevada Health Centers, Nevada Outreach Training Organization, Office of Consumer Health Assistance and St. Rose Dominican Hospital Dignity Health. These grantees will receive funds to help them with marketing, outreach and enrollment efforts during the exchange’s upcoming open enrollment period for plan year 2021, which starts November 1.

United Way of Southern Nevada appointed Janet Quintero as director of community and government affairs. Quintero coordinates advocacy efforts, supervises the Public Policy Committee, enhances community relations and manages community impact programs that help students from diverse backgrounds succeed, graduate from high school and obtain a degree or certification. Quintero has previously served in a variety of leadership roles, including as secretary for the Latino Youth Leadership Foundation and Immunize Nevada outreach committee chair.

Summerlin, a development of The Howard Hughes Corporation, earned the No. 4 spot on RCLCO’s national list of the

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Salvation Army Southern Nevada appointed captains Anthony and Lisa Barnes to Clark County Commanders/Citadel Corps Officers. The captains come to Las Vegas from their previous four-year appointment in Seattle and five years in Phoenix at the southwest divisional headquarters.

Wynn Las Vegas was ranked the No. 1 hotel in Las Vegas on the Travel + Leisure 2020 World’s Best Awards list honoring the top hotels, travel destinations and companies worldwide, as rated by its readers. This is the first time that Las Vegas has received its own city-specific list in the award’s 25-year history.

Colliers International Las Vegas announced Lauren Willmore as its newest associate specializing in industrial brokerage services on the Willmore team. Formerly a client service specialist, Willmore will assist in securing land and industrial transactions across Southern Nevada.

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horoscopes week of JULY 30 by rob brezsny

“MAKE JOKES” by frank Longo

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is renowned for his buoyancy. In one of his famous lines, he wrote, “I am awaiting, perpetually and forever, a renaissance of wonder.” Your assignment is not to sit there and wait. Your job is to embody and actualize and express, perpetually and forever, a renaissance of wonder. It’s an especially favorable time to rise to new heights in fulfilling this aspect of your lifelong assignment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The indigenous Coast Miwok people of Northern California believed that soul and sentience animate all animals and plants as well as rocks, rivers, mountains—everything, really. According to one of their creation stories, Coyote and Silver Fox made the world by singing and dancing it into existence. Find out about and celebrate the history of the people and the place where you live.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “When I look down, I miss all the good stuff, and when I look up, I just trip over things,” says singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. Try looking straight ahead. Adopt a perspective that will enable you to detect regular glimpses of what’s above you and below you—as well as what’s in front of you. Avoid all extremes that might distract you from the big picture.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Italian word nottivago refers to “night roamers”: people who wander around after dark. Why do they do it? Maybe their ramblings have the effect of dissolving stuck thoughts that have been plaguing them. Maybe it’s a healing relief to indulge in the luxury of having nowhere in particular to go and nothing in particular to do. Meandering after sundown may stir up a sense of wild freedom to outflank or outgrow their problems. The coming days will be an excellent time to try this out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your perceptiveness will be at a peak in the coming weeks.

You’ll have an ability to discern half-hidden truths that are invisible to everyone else.

You’ll be aggressive in scoping out what most people don’t even want to become aware of. Take advantage of your temporary superpower. Use it to get a lucid grasp of the big picture—and cultivate a more intelligent approach than those who are focused on the small picture and the comfortable delusions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else,” wrote playwright Tom Stoppard. Meditate on that. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when every exit can indeed be an entrance somewhere else—but only if you believe in that possibility and are alert for it. So dissolve your assumptions about the current chapter of your life story so you can be fully open to new possibilities.

2018 King features syndicate

ACROSS 1 Yearned (for) 7 Zion National Park locale 11 Fracas 14 Domino’s order 19 Colorado River tribe 20 Quarterback Tony 21 Bible book after Exod.

22 PC letter 23 Bought an expensive Camaro?

26 Desert plants 27 “— all true!”

28 Hit the slopes 29 Crooning while standing atop a Rio? 31 Glimpses 33 Large African antelope 36 Pianist Schiff 37 Request to your Accord when you need to get somewhere in a hurry?

42 Triton’s realms 43 Snake noise 47 — Lingus 48 Traffic jam 50 Funny 52 Color ranges 56 City where the Model 3 is produced?

59 Adjust 60 Land in eau 62 Raggedy — 63 Tripled trio 64 Why you don’t want to give up your beloved Q7?

70 Has food 71 Sparkly stone 72 From long ago: Abbr.

73 Once-big news agcy.

74 Silkwood co-star 78 Declaration when

a Regal stalls in traffic?

82 VIP roster 86 London loc.

87 Clink dweller 88 Shire of Rocky 89 Charger being dismantled for scrap metal?

94 Permitted 96 San — (city WSW of Sacramento) 97 Unceasingly 99 Up to, in brief 100 Pace 101 Don of talk radio 104 Things provided by joyrides in a Grand Cherokee?

109 Crude shed 111 Knightly title 112 Caulk, e.g.

113 Action words used in Continental ads?

119 Forest hooter 122 Rapa — (Easter Island) 123 Large city in Nebraska 124 Put a wheel boot on a Mustang?

128 Cato’s language 129 Ocean east of Fla. 130 Burn balm 131 Main course 132 Nerve cell projections 133 Pekoe, e.g.

134 Oxen connector 135 Vocalizes Alpinestyle DOWN 1 Mischievous 2 Just so 3 Chipping tool 4 Was ill with 5 Gabor and Longoria 6 Pack of cards 7 Suffix with depart 8 “Mazel —!”

9

Schumer and Sedaris of comedy 10 Pueblo tribe 11 Trues up 12 Make a choice 13 Pull-out part of a range 14 — Bill (Old West folk hero) 15 Somalian supermodel 16 Astros pitcher Greinke 17 Rigatoni relative 18 Et — (and more) 24 Lofty 25 Stranded cellular stuff 30 NBAer Pau 32 Gap-creating gizmos 34 NSFW part 35 Joins up 38 D.C. subway 39 Goof up 40 65% or so, gradewise 41 Vienna’s nation: Abbr.

43 Cracker brand of old 44 Holy likeness 45 Equivalent 46 Louver piece 49 Physics Nobelist Max 51 — -pedi (spa option) 52 NSFW part 53 “Guilty,” e.g.

54 Louisiane, par exemple 55 Mann of pop 57 “Gemini Man” director Lee 58 Acting instinctively, informally 61 Long- — (rangy) 65 E followers 66 Capital of South Vietnam

67 “Ltd.” cousin 68 Winning by a point 69 Salsa, say 74 White wine 75 Fiery realm 76 Pennsylvania city 77 Use a book 78 Texter’s “ciao” 79 Sturm — Drang 80 Backdrops 81 Flight unit 82 Slightly open 83 Moon, in Italy 84 Research ctr.

85 — -Ball 90 Entrapment director Jon 91 Headwear in the title of the first Ellery Queen mystery 92 FBI’s govt. division 93 “Gosh!”

95 — degree 98 Print quality abbr.

102 Gen. Assembly procedure for a resolution 103 McCartney of fashion 105 Medium gait 106 The Raven maiden 107 Hardy’s pal 108 Declines 109 Bank offers 110 Munic. law 113 Dancer Falana 114 Huge-screen format 115 Defense gp.

116 Facial feature 117 Yrly. gift-giving occasion 118 Aviate alone 120 Milk serum 121 Jokey Jay 125 Asian pan 126 Born, to Fifi 127 Co. bringing bouquets

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “One must think with the body and the soul or not think at all,” wrote author and historian Hannah Arendt. She implied that thinking only with the head may spawn monsters and demons. Mere conceptualization is arid and sterile if not interwoven with the wisdom of the soul and the body’s earthy intuitions. Ideas that are untempered by feelings and physical awareness can produce poor maps of reality. Meditate on these empowering suggestions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your power over yourself has been increasing lately. Your ability to manage your own moods, create your own sweet spots and define your own fate is as robust as it’s been in a while. What do you plan to do with your enhanced dominion? What special feats might you attempt? Are there any previously impossible accomplishments that may now be possible?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote: “We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder cloud and the rain which lasts three weeks and produces freshets. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.” Heed Thoreau’s counsel. You would benefit from an extended healing session amidst natural wonders.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Author and activist bell hooks, who doesn’t capitalize her name, sometimes writes about her experiences teaching at universities, as in the following passage. “My students tell me, ‘we don’t want to love! We’re tired of being loving!’ And I say to them, if you’re tired of being loving, then you haven’t really been loving, because when you are loving you have more strength.” You’re in a favorable position to boost your own strength through the invigorating power of your love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Langston Hughes (1902–1967) was working as a waiter when he left three of his poems on the famous poet Vachel Lindsay’s table.

Lindsay loved them and later lent his clout to boosting Hughes’ career.

You might have an opening like that sometime soon. Be ready to take advantage. Cultivate every connection that may become available.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Faith Baldwin has renounced the “forgive and forget” policy. She writes, “I think one should forgive and remember. ... To look upon what you remember and know you’ve forgiven is achievement.” Get the relief you need.

Forgive those who have trespassed against you. But hold fast to the lessons you learned through those people so you won’t repeat them.

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