Stone’s return just what Golden Knights needed
Steve Carp
Host · Writer
LAS VEGAS — The Captain returned to the ice Thursday night. And not a moment too soon.
The Vegas Golden Knights, desperate to get things turned around down the stretch, welcomed back Mark Stone to the lineup after he had missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.
Yes, we’re well aware of the 33-year-old’s fragility. We almost expect him to get sidelined at some point every year, given Stone has never gotten through an NHL season unscathed.
But this is the time of the year where leadership is required, both in the locker room and on the ice. And if the Knights expect to be serious Stanley Cup contenders, they need Stone’s presence in both places.
He didn’t dent the scoresheet in Vegas’ 6-2 win over Pittsburgh, which was without two of its stars in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But Stone’s presence was felt and made a noticeable difference.
“What it does is it’s nice to have some options and balance things out a little for everybody,” coach Bruce Cassidy said of what Stone’s presence means for his lineup. “Any coach will tell you when you have a full compliment (of players) it’s easier to sort things out.”
He was reunited with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev on the Knights’ top line. Eichel is starting to wield a hot stick as his third-period goal was his third straight game with a tally.
Stone’s return also meant Mitch Marner could return to wing after playing center for the better part of two months. Marner was excellent Thursday, scoring a pretty goal in the second period and setting up the second of Pavel Dorofeyev’s two goals as the two joined Tomas Hertl on Vegas’ second line.
“Stoney brings a lot,” Marner said. “Power play. Penalty kill. Obviously, his leadership, both on and off the ice. He has a calming presence and us getting him back is a big step for this team.”
Of course, the return of Brett Howden to the lineup gives Cassidy some flexibility in the middle if he wants to use Howden there. For now, he’s playing third-line minutes on left wing with Colton Sissons in the middle and Braeden Bowman on the right side. Bowman had one of his best games in a while, registering a pair of assists.
So Stone’s presence created a trickle-down effect in the lineup and perhaps will create some stability, assuming no one else gets hurt over these final 16 games, and this four-game homestand in particular which began against the Penguins.
The Knights find themselves in a battle at the top of the Pacific Division with both Anaheim and Edmonton. Points have been tough to come by since the return from the Olympics. Vegas was 2-6 in its last eight games and had fallen out of the top spot in the division.
It put extra emphasis on taking advantage of the homestand, which continues Saturday against Chicago, then Tuesday against Buffalo and wraps up against Utah on March 19. Thursday was the start Vegas needed to not only make a run at first place but to secure its spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We’ve been playing well of late but sometimes you don’t always get rewarded,” Marner said. “So it was nice to keep our foot on the gas and get the wind.”
