Although Mark Stone failed to get on the scoresheet, the return of the Golden Knights captain to the lineup prompted several Vegas teammates to credit him for the team’s offensive breakout in a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Vegas, which hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night in Las Vegas, had managed to score just five goals total in its previous three games, all regulation losses.
Stone had been sidelined for five games after straining a muscle in his side on a check from Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang. The Golden Knights went 1-4-0 with their captain on the sideline, scoring two goals or fewer in four of the games.
Stone, who wore a non-contact jersey while participating in the team’s morning skate on Thursday, made a surprise return against the Penguins a few hours later. He finished with a plus-2 rating, playing 21 shifts and logging 17:52 in time on ice.
“I was just ready to go,” said Stone, who has 21 goals and 60 points in just 44 games. “I feel like it wasn’t going to get much better. I feel like I was in top shape. Not going to sit out this time of year when the body feels good.”
Vegas, which held a four-point lead in the Pacific Division at the Winter Olympic break, had lost six of seven games before the Thursday win. The Golden Knights are now a point behind the Anaheim Ducks in the division.
“At the end of the day, he always makes us better,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said of Stone. “He’s a pretty smart player. Very rarely does he make a mistake with the puck or with his reads. Always has a good stick.”
“Obviously, getting him back is a big step for this team,” said Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner, who scored a goal and added an assist. “Stonie brings a lot. Power play, penalty kill, and even strength-wise. And obviously, just the leadership he brings off the ice. Calming presence, which is great as well in the locker room.”
Chicago, last in the Central Division, comes in off a 3-2 overtime victory against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Connor Bedard scored on a long rebound at 3:57 of overtime as the Blackhawks completed a four-game regular-season-series sweep of the Mammoth. Bedard, Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal and an assist.
Alex Vlasic blasted a shot from the high slot that hit the left goalpost and went straight to Bedard, who drilled the game-winner past Karel Vejmelka. It was Chicago’s third win over Utah in a 12-day span.
“Every game we play these guys is pretty intense and pretty good hockey, so it feels great to beat them every time,” Bedard said. “We don’t like them, they don’t like us. So it’s a good feeling.”
Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight, back after missing three games with an illness, made 29 saves.
The win extended Chicago’s road point streak to four games (2-0-2).
“It’s fun,” Bedard said. “It’s fun playing on the road, especially when you win.”
The Saturday game is the final of three regular-season meetings between the two teams. Vegas rallied to win the first one in a shootout, 4-3 on Dec. 2 in Las Vegas, before the Blackhawks, behind a hat trick from Bertuzzi, won the second one in overtime, 3-2 on Jan. 4 in Chicago.
–Field Level Media
