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Vegas Golden Knights: Main Takeaways from fifth straight loss in LA

By Andrew Steele-Davis

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 16: Los Angeles Kings celebrate Nikolai Prokhorkin #74 of the Los Angeles Kings goal during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at STAPLES Center on November 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 16: Los Angeles Kings celebrate Nikolai Prokhorkin #74 of the Los Angeles Kings goal during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at STAPLES Center on November 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 13: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena on November 13, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 13: Mark Stone #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena on November 13, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

2. Stone’s Slump

After getting off to a red hot start in October, Mark Stone has tapered off somewhat of late and he’s mired in an almighty slump right now.

After being held without a point against the LA Kings on Saturday, Stone has now gone six straight games without a goal or an assist.

Granted, all players go through ruts at various points throughout the course of the regular season, and the positive is that Stone did generate four shots on goal against the Kings.

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He is getting chances and, given Stone’s elite ability, it shouldn’t be long before he breaks out of this current slump and gets back to doing what he does best.

However, with no secondary scoring, it is noticeable when your top players struggle to produce offense and that is exactly what is happening right now.

Plus, it hasn’t helped that the dynamic second line of Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Stone has been broken up in order to spark other players into life.

Vegas Head Coach Gerard Gallant has used Cody Eakin as the second line center between Jonathan Marchessault and Stone, but Eakin’s natural game just isn’t suited to playing top six minutes between two elite wings.

You shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken as the old saying goes and Vegas would be wise to put rookie phenom Cody Glass back on the second line between Pacioretty and Stone, given the chemistry that trio quickly developed.

But, for now at least, it is down to Stone to break out of this current scoring slump and there were signs against the Kings that he is getting closer.

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