Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone looks on during the NHL game
ST. PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 15: Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) looks on during the NHL game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild on December 15th, 2024, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Mark Stone exited Game 3 with an upper-body injury after colliding with Corey Perry
  • Vegas now faces even tougher odds to overcome their 2-0 series deficit
  • Read below for video and details of Stone’s injury vs Edmonton

The Vegas Golden Knights’ hopes of clawing their way back into their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers took a major hit on Saturday. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone exited Game 3 with an upper-body injury and did not return.

The incident occurred in a chaotic first period. Stone was pressuring Oilers forward Corey Perry when he lost an edge and slid down to the ice. His head went directly into Perry’s knee before the Vegas captain took a moment to collect himself and return to the bench.

Stone headed down the tunnel to the locker room and was nowhere to be found to start the second period. The Golden Knights soon announced he would miss the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury.

Interestingly, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Stone actually played three more shifts after this collision before finally heading down the tunnel. His final shift lasted 34 seconds and ended at the 13:40 mark of the period.

The collision was an unfortunate stroke of bad luck for Stone. Perry wasn’t looking at him before or during the fall, so there was no way the veteran winger could have intentionally stuck his knee out, even if he wanted to.

Stone did appear to reach his hand out towards Perry’s knee during the fall. Some may argue he was simply bracing for impact. However, alternate angles show his head wasn’t overly close to making contact with Perry’s knee when he extended his arm.

This is yet another tough break for Stone, who’s had his fair share of injury woes over the years. Strangely enough, it’s the second time this season the Golden Knights star has fallen into an opposing player’s knee area. The first run-in involved Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen.

Losing Stone for any amount of time would be a crushing blow for a Vegas team already in a 2-0 series hole. The 30-year-old leads the Golden Knights in playoff scoring with four goals and eight points in eight games. His two-way dominance was key to their 2023 Stanley Cup Championship run.

With their heart and soul captain sidelined, the Golden Knights will need their big guns to step up. Jack Eichel, Vegas’ regular-season scoring leader, will have to shoulder a heavier load. Wingers like Reilly Smith and Ivan Barbashev must also find another gear.

There’s zero doubt Stone’s absence will leave a massive void if he misses extended time. The Winnipeg native is one of the NHL’s premier defensive forwards, capable of going toe-to-toe with superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The Golden Knights have battled adversity all season long, so they’re no stranger to it. But losing Stone is a whole different obstacle. Vegas is really going to be tested as they try to climb out of a 2-0 hole without their captain leading the way.