Vegas Golden Knights fans know that Mark Stone is an incredible player. I mean, he played alongside Sidney Crosby during the 2026 Winter Olympics, for goodness sake. But there was a notable stretch where the Captain wasn't himself.
Before March 26's game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Olympian only had two assists after the Olympic Break. Since that big game? He has five goals and two assists, signaling a renaissance for the Golden Knights superstar.
Of course, this was to be expected from Stone. I mean, it's Mark Freakin' Stone. How can you not expect him to light the lamp once or twice? Heck, he might throw in a few assists to the pile, making him a dangerous player.
That's good news for a Golden Knights team inching closer to yet another Stanley Cup playoff berth. They need as many contributors as possible if they wish to make some noise. That goes for Stone's teammates as well, ranging from Jack Eichel to Tomas Hertl to Pavel Dorofeyev.
In fact, the Captain has unleashed his talents since John Tortorella came on board. Three of those goals and two of those assists have come in the span of five games, turning Stone into a powerful weapon.
The Vegas Golden Knights desperately need Mark Stone to be relevant in the Stanley Cup playoffs
Looking back at the 2022-23 Stanley Cup run, Mark Stone was a decisive factor in Vegas's first Stanley Cup. He scored 11 goals and 13 assists during that run, becoming a factor in 22 games. We're talking about more than a point per game during that stretch.
Since that run? Seven goals and four assists in 17 postseason games. That hasn't been the Golden Knights' standard during the postseason, leaving fans to wonder if he'll pick it up. But this recent stretch has brought some hope for the Golden Knights' Captain.
The top six have carried the Golden Knights throughout the season, ranging from Stone to Mitch Marner to Jack Eichel. The trio has combined for 72 goals and 154 assists this season, making them quintessential to Vegas's success. If Tortorella wants to do his lineup loading, watch for him to put the three together.
Stone isn't the only Golden Knight who must come through, though
Remember when I mentioned how Tomas Hertl needed to come through in a game against Vancouver? That didn't happen as he went pointless. However, he got an assist against the Kraken, getting off the snide in the process. Still, there's a massive elephant in the room regarding his point production with Vegas.
He has four goals and two assists in 18 career postseason games with the Golden Knights. While the Czech Olympian has largely disappeared in the postseason, he's not the only culprit. In 2022-23, Ivan Barbashev had seven goals and 11 assists during the Stanley Cup run. Since that run? One goal and five assists in 18 games.
Of course, there are also players like Pavel Dorofeyev (one goal and one assist in nine career postseason games) who must step up. However, having Stone kickstart the postseason scoring would be nice for Vegas. After all, the team has experienced new life with points in all five Tortorella games.