Wanna hear some good news? Mark Stone returns to the Vegas Golden Knights for Friday's game against the Dallas Stars. The team will take on five straight teams in playoff positions in the Western Conference, the team's toughest stretch yet. You can imagine the 31 other fanbases losing their collective minds.
The Captain has scored six goals and 15 assists in 13 games this season, clicking with the Golden Knights's top line. He adapted well with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev before suffering a lower-body injury on November 6 against the Edmonton Oilers. Now? The Golden Knights are ready to roll with their ideal forward group for the season.
The tough stretch ahead is the bad news, of course. However, having the Winnipeg native back for that stretch provides plenty of reason to believe the Golden Knights should be fine. For one, he makes the offensive attack much better. Look at the team's stats with the forward compared to when they didn't have him on the ice.
VGK with Mark Stone
— Ryan The Hockey Guy (@RyanHockeyGuy) December 6, 2024
13 games: 9-3-1, 19 points.
58 goals for.
11-for-33 on the power-play.
VGK without Mark Stone
14 games: 8-4-2, 18 points.
38 goals for.
6-for-31 on the power-play.
Finally! Teams must deal with another big body on the power play. Now, Tomas Hertl can feast on seam passes as the Captain hammers the slot, as proven by a 33.3% power play percentage with the Captain on the ice. Also, the team has a solid two-way forward to go to both ends of the ice. But there's more to Stone's return to the Golden Knights than simply getting a key player back (and no, he's not back from LTIR).
Mark Stone also brings a forechecking acumen to the Vegas Golden Knights
Being a good two-way player comes with a much-needed return for the Vegas Golden Knights. Mark Stone has 832 career takeaways, with 343 coming with the Golden Knights (seven seasons). Granted, he's dealt with injuries during his Vegas tenure. However, he's proven he's a reliable piece for creating turnovers.
The 4 Nations Face-Off participant will bring that acumen back to the top line, where Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev will accompany him. Fans are dreaming about numerous takeaways leading to transition opportunities, with Eichel and Barbashev racing down the ice. That's what the duo has done after all, with 30 goals scored with the pair on the ice (compared to 16 goals allowed), according to Natural Stat Trick.
That amounts to a GF% of 65.22, which exceeded the expected GF% of 47.01% (15.7 xGF and 17.7 xGA). The Golden Knights will benefit from these opportunities with the 32-year-old's return, leaving opposing goaltenders off-balance. Imagine having Stone return to the lineup with both superstars.
Sure, the record with Stone (9-3-1, 19 points) is comparable to the record without (8-4-2, 18 points). But that's attributed to Adin Hill's excellent play. The netminder has stepped up tremendously, posting a record of 5-1-1, a GAA of 1.70, and a save percentage of .935 in his last seven games. That includes an impressive 28-save shutout against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday when he stood his ground with the Golden Knights's backcheck.
Everyone loves getting good news, whether it's a new job or unexpectedly getting $100,000. Having your Captain return to the Golden Knights lineup is equivalent to these things. You're getting a two-way forward who brings an offensive punch back to the lineup. That should help the team, especially when paired with a red-hot goaltender like Hill.