Mitch Marner must've heard those pesky Toronto Maple Leafs fans trashing him again. He heard all the rumblings about how he couldn't perform in the playoffs (like the rest of the Maple Leafs) and took it personally. Heck, he heard the rumblings about how the Anaheim Ducks manhandled the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2. How did he respond?
Yeah. Sounds appropriate.
Anyways, the Golden Knights exacted their revenge on the Ducks in Game 3, 6-2, laying out a belt-to-arse performance. Marner got a hat trick (natural!), while Brayden McNabb (shorty!), Brett Howden (empty-netter!), and Shea Theodore (quickie!) added goals for Vegas. Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider scored for the Ducks. Carter Hart put in another strong performance for the Golden Knights, stopping 30 of 32 shots.
While that was fun and all, there was some bad news on the injury front (more on that in a bit). No, it isn't William Karlsson again, thank goodness. But the player hinted at here is more important.
Anyways, let's look at a magical Friday night in Anaheim, shall we? We all know that Marner needed another big game and got it (he has six goals and seven assists this postseason, by the way). But other factors played a role in Friday's game.
The Vegas Golden Knights needed a fast start and got it
When you get goals from Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb, and Mitch Marner in the first period, that's plenty of reason to celebrate. But when you get one of each situation, that's even better. The Golden Knights did exactly that and sucked the life out of Honda Center quickly.
We're talking about an even-strength goal to start the party, followed by a short-handed goal (third in this postseason, mind you), and a power play goal to end the period. All of that was a promising sign for a Golden Knights team that needed a kick in the pants after Game 2's dud.
Granted, the SOG was still in favor of the Ducks (11-7) after one period. However, the NHL doesn't count shots on goal as the method for winning. Instead, it is goals and that's what the Golden Knights got plenty of early and effectively. Hey, history looks like it's on their side again.
Is it time to be concerned about Mark Stone?
The Vegas Golden Knights can't afford to lose their Captain in any capacity. You need your leader to spark the offensive charge, especially when he's paired with superstars like Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Well, I got some bad news for you, dear reader.
Here's the injury to Mark Stone that sent him to the locker room just before the 1st period ended. pic.twitter.com/PCx3WKe1n3
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 9, 2026
It seems to be a recurring theme with Stone, who's dealt with every injury in the book. That includes spleen injuries and back problems, making him a marked man. While he did return to the bench in the second period, he skated for a bit and returned down the tunnel afterwards.
If the news is much worse than initially thought, that doesn't inspire much hope for the Golden Knights' playoff chances. Fans have seen firsthand what happens when your Captain isn't on the ice, which is especially true with a record of 8-9-5 this season.
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