The return of Mark Stone put the Las Vegas Golden Knights in their fourth Stanley Cup Finals in their nine-year history.
He’s one of the best right-wing players in the league. It’s his combination of clutch scoring and understanding smart routes in the defensive zones that makes him a tough player to deal with.
Mark Stone Helped the Golden Knights Sweep
Stone missed the first two games of the West Finals with a lower-body injury. In Games 3 and 4, he scored two goals, including a power play goal and had one assist.
In this sequence, he helps his center, Colton Sissons and serves as a quick outlet before immediately advancing the puck to Tomas Hertl.
While he doesn’t get an assist on the stat sheet, Stone’s early work in the defensive zone provides the Golden Knights with an opportunity to score.
Stone gets behind the defense here and legally knocks down the puck to keep the play going.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/2059446865968447503
With just the goaltender to beat, Stone goes with the wrist shot — keeping the puck with the blade until the last possible moment.
Stone actually loses control of the puck at the last moment, but it didn’t matter because the puck was already in line with the net for a crucial goal.
The 6-foot-3 right wing just displayed how elite he is in the high danger zone. Stone has scored four of his five goals there, tied for sixth most in the postseason.
The 34-year-old also a big part in why the Golden Knights excel on power plays.
The Golden Knights had the sixth-best power-play percentage in the league this year (24.6).
Mitch Marner sets up Stone nicely here while they have the numbers advantage:
https://twitter.com/espn/status/2058722191689031748
Stone scores a one-timer shot — scoring off a pass without stopping the puck.
Come Stanley Cup Finals time, Stone will be the focal point of the Golden Knights’ plans to lift the trophy.
Leave a comment