On October 14th the Golden Knights headed to Los Angeles to take on the Kings in their home opener. The game couldn’t have gone much worse for Vegas. They were dominated in every facet on the ice and to add injury to insult captain Mark Stone had to leave the game in the second period on a non-contact injury.
Stone immediately hunched over in serious pain and needed assistance to get off the ice and eventually down the tunnel. After the game, we learned that Max Pacioretty had also broken his foot in the game and the reports we were hearing at SinBin.vegas was that the team feared Stone’s injury could be even longer term than the 4-6 weeks on Pacioretty’s foot.
At the time, Pete DeBoer revealed Stone had been “dealing with something off and on” and that it finally “just locked up on him” which had everyone majorly concerned.
The frustrating thing for me was that I couldn’t really put a timeline on it. I saw a bunch of different specialists to… kinda put a timeline on it… and no one could really give me one. -Mark Stone
It was later revealed by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that Stone’s injury was to his back. What we found out Saturday night though was that this was something Stone had been dealing with for quite a while, and that it finally appears to have been solved.
With the medical staff, myself, the physical training staff we’ve done a good job getting it solved, getting my body into a position to feel comfortable on the ice, which I hadn’t for maybe a while and I kind of fooled myself into thinking I felt great. I’m happy now that I was able to take that time. -Stone
Stone missed just one game last season and six the year prior, while participating in all 39 playoff games the Golden Knights played.
After each season he was asked if he was playing injured at any point during the playoff run, both times he firmly answered “no.” It seems now though that maybe he was and he didn’t even really know it.
I felt like tonight was the first time I actually felt comfortable coming back into a game so I made my return tonight and I feel good going forward that I’m going to get through the season and I feel as strong as ever. -Stone
Stone has consistently been one of, if not the, best player on the Golden Knights for the last three years, and it seems he’s been doing it while not even operating at full health. Now, he’s back, and “as strong as ever.” That has to be terrifying for the rest of the NHL to hear.
Blitz
Kind of a confusing time line for a debilitating injury. If he was hurt the MTL series and hurt preseason into the season, yet 3 weeks off totally healed him better than ever, that seems strange, as he had the summer off to heal. Granted I get that maybe if he didn’t know what it was then it was hard to heal it, but 3 weeks and all fixed. Makes me more curious what the issue was. Kidney stone or something off the wall like that? Mark “Kidney” Stone <—- see what I did? Excellent! 🙂
I am not calling BS or anything like that. I am just curious as hell. Sounds like an awesome out come after watching him helped off the ice and vague reports/updates afterwards.
Coyote
Well put. I agree.
THE hockey GOD
maybe he had bad reaction to Joe’s stone crabs or stone cold creamery ??
Blitz
Stone brewing = liver issues?
Richie-Rich
The back can be a very tricky part of the body. One second you feel 100% and the next you feel like you’ve been cut in half. I would imagine that constant attention has to be paid to all aspects of a hockey player’s spinal column. We’ve seem some players doubled over nearly backwards, which can really put a lot of stress on disks.
Pistol Pete
Sounds like he might been helped by a chiropractor or more than one before the issue was finally resolved.
Pistol Pete
When I think of a healthy Pacioretty, Eichel and Stone I can barely contain myself lol.
Pistol Pete
Speaking of Jack Eichel, and in case anyone is interested and/or did not see it, I posted a couple videos at the bottom of the preceding article (Canucks game).
Pistol Pete
I would have to say the Ducks are about as big a surprise as there is in either conference. Looks like the erasure of the three goal lead vs. VGK may not have been just a fluke or complete defensive lapse by the Knights.
Tim
Stone back is great but Whitecloud, Karlsson, Patch, and Eichel will be out for a while. Nolan Patrick is a mystery one report said undisclosed then another report said lower body so who knows if he doesn’t work out oh well Glass wasn’t going to do anything so nothing lost. Tomorrows game will be interesting there’s no way we should win but you never know,
Pistol Pete
Most probably thought we would not beat MIN. All else equal the two HSK goals were the difference. Call me nuts but I believe we have the depth and desire to pull it out vs, the Canes, with or without Paul Cotter.
Pistol Pete
Fair and objective imo.
https://www.si.com/hockey/news/the-eichel-trade-vegas-cup-clincher-or-vegas-icarus-moment
Blitz
No Marchy tonight (wu-flu positive). Not gonna help the task at hand. He’s the hottest forward right now. Next man up, I guess. Make a win even sweeter!
War Knights!
Blitz
or I guess they are saying “in covid protocol”. So saying he is positive is not true, because it’s all a game of wording when you are talking about inaccurate testing.
THE hockey GOD
chicom virus is political joke, no deaths last year from flu. Not a single one. They can’t tell difference between a common cold, the flu, or chicom wuhan bat plague because they derive from same common denominator.
Blitz
It certainly makes for a convenient mechanism to destroy an economy, divide the people, and further promote socialism.
TS
Really? More political bull? COME ON, MAN, This is a h-o-c-k-e-y site. We ALL have political opinions, but we would be FOOLISH and INSENSITIVE to show our political leanings here!! We are EXHAUSTED over the past year’s politics! This is a place for HOCKEY TALK!!PLEASE PLEASE KEEP THIS SITE UNSTAINED WITH POLITICS–PLEASE!!!
THE hockey GOD
Jonathan Marchessault is also now in COVID protocol. Paul Cotter and Sven Baertschi have been recalled from the AHL.
Pistol Pete
Had not paid much attention to Baertschi (first round #13–2011). 29 years old. Missed 56 games 2018-19 from post-concussion syndrome after being checked in the head VGK Tomas Hyka! Seems to be the guy’s biggest issue as he amassed above average stats across 291 NHL games except -33: 66 G/72 A (138 pts: .47 pts/game). Note the nearly equal goals to assists (goals to pts = 48%). He’s scoring at HSK too (4 G/4 A–12 games) although -5. Is defense his biggest issue?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sven_B%C3%A4rtschi
Pistol Pete
Not exactly small either 5’11” 190
Blitz
I watched Baertschi when he was with the WinterHawks in the WHL. He was on the same team with Leipsic and they lost in the WHL finals. I like the kid and he was good at the junior level. He has good NHL experience w/ some success, but like Patrick has dealt with concussions and never really recovered. He is holding his own in henderson, so I hope he can find some success with what he has left of his career. It will be good to watch him tonight (assuming he plays), but as with most of the call ups it usually takes a couple of games to feel comfortable, so expectations are low.
Pistol Pete
#13 in 2011. Has shown he can score goals. 66 in 291 NHL games is pretty strong actually and as posted above is 48% of his points (.47 pts/game).
Richie-Rich
I hope he gets to play tonight and does well. More depth is always a good thing.
Richie-Rich
I take the +/- statistics with a grain of salt, especially a small sample size. Plus/Minus stats are handed out to every player on the ice. I don’t totally agree that this statistic alone is a good measure of a player’s offensive or defensive skills.
In terms of statistics, I do like the average points per game. That statistic carries a lot more weight for me than plus/minus.
Blitz
I agree. You can be the best defensive player in the league on a bad team, +/- says nothing about you as an individual.
Pistol Pete
Eiche is -69
Blitz
I read that as Eichel in Buffalo is -69. Eichel on a defensive Deboer team, we shall see, but I would imagine much better.
Richie-Rich
Tonight is another major milestone in terms of assessing the depth of this team as well as the goalie situation.
Let’s hope they pass with flying colors.
THE hockey GOD
what goalie situation ?????
THE hockey GOD
“the goalie situation” lives rent free in your brain 24/7. Suggest therapy, lots of it.
Richie-Rich
If my analysis pans out to be correct —- well —– talk to me about it in mid-to-late January.
THE hockey GOD
” well —– talk to me about it in mid-to-late January.”>>> what year ?
Richie-Rich
2022 my man. Either Lehner becomes more consistent in goal or the defense improves a ton at the expense of offensive production. The alternative is for VGK to average 4 or more goals per game. These are the only 3 ways that Lehner gets to save his job because right now the flaws in his game are too many for VGK to compete for a Stanley Cup.