The Golden Knights are better with Mark Stone in the lineup than without him.
Yes, that is probably the most obvious statement ever written on this site. The extent of his impact can be a bit surprising though.
Since the 2021-22 season, Stone has participated in 149 of the Golden Knights’ 261 regular games, a little more than 57%. VGK’s record with Stone in the lineup is a sterling 88-46-15, that’s a points percentage of .641, or an 82-game pace of 105 points. Without him, they are 60-40-12, .589 points percentage, or 97 points over 82 games.
Thus, over the last three full seasons and the first month of this one, with Stone, the Golden Knights are legitimate contenders to win the Pacific Division, without him, they are directly on the playoff cut line.
The average points to make the playoffs the last three seasons in the Western Conference was 96.67 with Vegas making it at 98 last year, Winnipeg at 95 the year before, and Nashville at 97 the year VGK missed. So, since Seattle came into the league, it takes 96.67 points to reach the playoffs. VGK’s 60-40-12 record without Stone is equivalent to a pace of 96.64.
The impact of missing Stone has grown too as the team’s depth has been shaved away. The year Vegas won the Cup, unquestionably their best team ever, VGK were actually a tiny bit better without Stone than with him, a minuscule difference of .005. Last year, the difference in points percentage was a massive .087. That would account for a difference of 14 points in the standings over 82 games.
The difference is more evident in Vegas’ ability to defend than score. Last year, without Stone the Golden Knights allowed 0.73 more goals per game. This year, in the smallest of sample sizes, two games, that number has doubled. Vegas allowed exactly three goals against per game with the captain in the lineup, while allowing 4.5 per night without him.
Stone’s absence is most impactful right after he leaves the lineup. In 2021, VGK lost each of the first three games he missed. In 2022, they also lost three straight and dropped seven of the first eight. Last year, they lost the first two without him and six of the first seven.
So far, we’re heading down the same path with VGK dropping each of the last two games since Stone’s injury against Edmonton.
There does seem to be a bit of optimism surrounding an imminent return of Stone from Bruce Cassidy, but if things take a turn for the worse with Stone’s health, the Golden Knights are going to have to figure a way forward better this year than they have in the past.
Richie-Rich
If the Captain plays another half season it is time to move on from him. He’s great when healthy but we cannot continue to see him play 41 games or less. It’s a bit early to start raising the red flag on this, I know.
hdbiker7851
RR – it’s never too early given what everyone knows. It’s unfortunate the injury bug seems to find him more than other players – maybe it’s noticed more as he make a substantial difference. Even the last couple of games shows that to be the case. Stone not in the lineup is the reason they lost but his presence makes a difference.
Emmanuel
The cynic in me says:
When he plays we get one of the two best 2 way players in the league
When he doesnt we accrue cap $
Its actually a good system, all that matters is making the playoffs & loading up at the deadline.
JB
Jets win again. 15-1 Wow!
Frank
Trust me, the Jets will do Jet things and stumble into the playoffs and make an early round exit ;) They sure do look good now, but this is not the time to peak.
Butch Cassidy
Not surprised Mark Stone is made out of glass.
I have seen that guy multiple times walking around City National without pads and the guy looks like he could barely bench his own body weight. Unlike Petro which looks to be built like a brick house.
In this age, you need to have a solid body able to take some punishment at that level. If you are small and flabby, you aren’t going to play much in this league.
I think it is time to move on from Stone. We got lucky with the team firing on all cylinders facing a broken down Florida team that wiped the Eastern conference for us. VGK championship was similar to the Canes and Blues Cup’s just an off year for the league.
ThG
does wayne gretzky sound familiar.
Frank
Here’s more the point. Stone has had a series of back injuries. Trust me when I say those are very difficult, don’t heal quite properly and come back at various points in time – even more so for athletes dealing with this type of injury. Not fun. To keep on coming back is a testament to Stone’s toughness and love for the game. Although, injuries will likely end his career short – which is a shame, as he is a great player when fully healthy.
JB
Stone has never been a physical specimen . Move on from him? What does that even mean? He’s the captain, 2-3 years left on his contract , and leads this team when he is on the ice. Let’s hope the dads spur us on to a couple good games on this roady!
Richie-Rich
It is more likely that Stone will be forced into retirement because of his back issues. He’s elite when he’s in the lineup. There is no doubt about that. Rumor has it that he will be returning to the lineup in the near future, so that is good. No LTIR rumors floating around.
knights fan in minny
have you played in the nhl hater
ThG
Well, they tried everything. For years, Democrats threw every legal hurdle they could at Donald Trump, hoping something would stick. The aim? To block his political comeback by any means necessary.
They cheered as case after case piled up, each one supposedly the final blow. They even managed to score a conviction, turning Trump into a “felon” in the eyes of some. But that didn’t stop him. Trump’s back, and he’s stronger than ever, elected by the American people to take the reins once more.
Democrats have officially run out of cards. Despite the endless lawsuits and relentless lawfare, Trump not only won the election but did so in a landslide. The GOP reclaimed control of the House, Senate, and White House, effectively leaving Trump with a united government. Now, he’s getting more good news.
ThG
The Manhattan judge overseeing President-elect Donald Trump’s trial agreed to grant a stay on all deadlines associated with the felony conviction proceedings against Trump in the final months before he takes office, a closely-watched decision that allows Trump to avoid a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
The judge overseeing the case, Judge Juan Merchan, granted the request, which issues a stay on all deadlines, including the Nov. 26 sentencing date, to consider the effect of his election as president.
A Pause on Legal Proceedings: The Trump Felony Case
Despite their best efforts, the Democrats now find themselves at a legal standstill. Trump’s recent felony conviction in Manhattan—a headline-grabber from earlier this year—has been put on hold by none other than Judge Juan Merchan.
He’s paused all legal deadlines surrounding Trump’s case, essentially hitting the brakes on any potential prison time as Trump heads to the White House. The maximum sentence of up to four years? It’s off the table, at least for now.
Prosecutors themselves requested the delay, noting that they need time to evaluate the implications of Trump’s election victory. As prosecutor Matthew Colangelo put it, “These are unprecedented circumstances.” Translation: Trump’s win changes everything, and the justice system is adjusting to this new reality.
Richie-Rich
Kangaroo Prosecution
Kangaroo Judge
Kangaroo Jury
34 convictions on bookkeeping
No one was defrauded, no one lost or gained
Banks would gladly do business with him again
It is no wonder the Democrats lost. The American people are not stupid. Popular vote (Win), Electoral vote (Win)
Now, all of those who were involved directly or indirectly in the criminal law fare will either have to pack their bags, some will face criminal charges for leaking classified information, falsifying documentation, and worse. Many of those who will be in the line of prosecution may have evidence to bring down some of the major players up the organizational chains in the DOJ/FBI, and could go all the way back to senior people in the Obama Administration, including Obama himself.
The American People soundly rejected Soviet style law fare on November 5th. Retribution is more than justified, it is warranted in order to send a message to future political leaders not to use the levers of government to crush the opposition.
TS
Wow, RR. Pretty DARK coming from you.
.i considered you to be a more rational, sensible Repub
Boy, was i mistaken. It’s the “Trump Rapture”. Your dark rhetoric sounds so familiar, somehow…
Let me think..
Oh, yeah, NOW i know…
That kind of talk sounds just like Hitler’s OWN rhetoric in Germany.
“We MUST punish those who would challenge our Dear Leader. The PURGE is justified. The opposition must be destroyed. Punishment is warranted. They must NEVER
be allowed to rise up to challenge us EVER again!” Do you realize what you are saying?? MATT GAETZ, most twisted, perverse man in Congress, Trump’s pick for AG, ready to destroy any who opposed YOUR DEAR LEADER..He now avoids that Pesky DAMNING report on his OWN SEXUAL CRIMES.. no wonder Trump likes him— they’re b-o-t-h Sexual Predators!! They are BOTH gaming the legal system to avoid their CORRUPTION AND CRIMES! And THIS is the best and finest in your Party,
hand- picked to go after Trump’s enemies.
. The INDOCTRINATION IS COMPLETE. HITLER WOULD BE SO PROUD . PUTIN MUST BE GIDDY, TOASTING THE COMPLETE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT TRUMP’S CULT NOW EMBRACES. WHAT THE HELL HAS TRUMP UNLEASHED??????????? DO YOU YET UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR DEAR LEADER IS DOING TO OUR FREE DEMOCRASY????
Richie-Rich
Look, this isn’t about Trump. It’s about a corrupt and partisan DOJ/FBI. The IG reports clearly pointed out the flaws. The report didn’t talk about the obvious partisan bias and actually tried to cover it up. They did a very poor job of doing so. Talk about protecting politicians? DOJ/FBI protected Hillary from prosecution, protected Hunter Biden for as long as they could, have not gone after the obvious corruption of the Biden Family and the Big Guy himself. Trump isn’t my Dear Leader. He and Vance are the winners of the Popular Vote and have an electoral landslide. Seventy-Five million people voted for this change and an end to the use of these agencies as political weapons. We voted for world peace, an end to trillions of debt being piled on, an end to open borders, and so much more. This is about the policies, not Trump himself.
Richie-Rich
Democrats have a history of lying and taking classified information.
-Sandy Berger convicted of stashing classified information down his pants and removing it.
-Hillary Clinton operated an illegal server in her home and processed Top Secret SCI information on it. (no charges, rules for thee but not for me). Destroyed evidence and was handled with kid gloves by investigators. No aggressive interviews on her!
-Joe Biden removed classified information and had it stored in his garage and elsewhere. (no charges)
-Mike Pence, NeoCon Establishment War Monger – returned his classified information (no charges)
I held a TS SCI clearance myself and can guarantee you that if I had TS SCI on any electronic device in my home or on me that I would have done hard prison time.
The partisan rot that is a cancer in the Democratic Party and in the Federal Government has to be purged. It’s quite apparent that the incoming team will be bringing the chemotherapy into every nook and cranny in government.
Let the tears begin.
Make America BiPartisan Again
Make DC work for the people again
Richie-Rich
The plumber has been called in. Matt Gaetz is going to flush the rot out of the DOJ/FBI. I love this pick and I have my fingers crossed that Kash Patel will be tapped as FB Lie Director. Go ahead, doctor up another 302 interview form, see what happens. A lot of peeps deserve to be punished over their actions in 2016/2017 and beyond. Rightful retribution in the form of justice is coming.
TS
RR, READ YOUR WORDS A FEW TIMES. THEN GO BACK TO HITLER’S SPEECHES. YOU ARE REPEATING THE GENOCIDAL MADMAN!! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PARTY OF REAGAN?? WHAT WOULD HE THINK OF HIS PARTY N-O-W?? WHY HAVE YOU ALL GOTREN ON YOUR KNEES FOR THE MOST CORRUPT POTUS IN HISTORY?? WHY WHY WHY??
Richie-Rich
Popular Vote: Win
Electoral Vote: Win
The people have spoken. Look, we are never going to agree. I respect you and you have a right to your opinion. I am not on my knees. It’s just the opposite. I actually worked my butt off during this election to see Republicans elected. It is my belief that our country will be much more unified in 2028 than it has been since possibly the birth of our nation.
Pray for World Peace
Pray for Prosperity
Pray for Health
Pray for those being appointed to positions of leadership to do the right things to make our government responsible to the people rather than to big Ag, big Pharma, big Corporations and the Military Forever War Machine
I have personally met and have had conversations with Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel among others who will be working in this Administration. They are good people who love this country.
I am a Republican, but first and foremost I am not a Bush/McConnell Republican and I oppose both sides of the aisle that seeks power over the people. The people being appointed in the Trump administration care about America, the Constitution and CITIZENS.
It was the Obama DOJ/FBI that let Hillary off the hook for mishandling classified information on her home server.
It was the Obama DOJ/FBI who went after Trump for documents but let Biden off the hook when he wasn’t even supposed to remove any as Senator or VP.
It was the Biden DOJ/FBI who arrested grandmothers for simply praying the rosary outside of abortion clinics.
Don’t talk to me about Soviet style or Hitler style tactics.
That’s why why why….
TS
PATEL?? THE DAMN CLOWN CAR IS BEING DRIVEN BY PATEL!! HES LIKE VIVEK— ALL HATE FOR AMERICANS WHO ARE N-O- T TRUMP- SUCKERS! HE WOULD ERECT GALLOWS AND GATHER FIRING SQUADS TO ELIMINATE THE DEM VERMIN WHO STOOD UP TO THE MOST CORRUPT POTUS IN HISTORY!
YOU SEEM TO FORGET JUST W-H-Y DEMS TRIED TO REMOVE TRUMP NOT ONCE BUT TWICE WHILE IN OFFICE, AND ALSO AFTER HE TRIED TO OVERTURN HIS L-O-S-S. WHY DID TRUMP DO SOOOO MANY CORRUPT, ILLEGAL THINGS.??? GOOD QUESTION., HUH???YOU REPUGNANTS ARE AFTER REVENGE AND RETRIBUTION ON TRUMP’S ORDERS, BUT YOU ALL KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT KIND OF CORRUPT MAN TRUMP IS. YOU HEARD AND SAW ALL THE CARNAGE JAN 6, AFTER TRUMP TRIED TO STEAL THE ELECTION BY COERSION, CORRUPTION AND VIOLENT FORCE!! WE A-L-L SAW IT!! YET, YOU NOT ONLY CONTINUE DEFENDING, IGNORING AND DISMISSING TRUMP’S CORRUPTION, BUT YOU HAVE EMBRACED HIM A-G-A-I-N AS YOUR NEW MESSIAH!! ARE YOU ALL MASOCHISTS?? I ASK: WHAT MESSIAH WOULD DO THE CORRUPT, INSANE, VINDICTIVE, HEARTLESS THINGS TRUMP HAS DONE??. WOULD A MESSIAH INCITE A RIOT AGAINST O-T-H-E-R AMERICANS??. PIT AMERICAN AGAINST AMERUCAN, AS HE HAS DONE FROM DAY 1 2016?? WHAT”‘MESSIAH” WANTS TO SEND FAMILIES TO ” DETENTION CAMPS” TO ROT IN CAGES WHILE TRUMP SADISTS DO THEIR DIRTY WORK AGAIN SO ” THE VERMIN WON’T TRY IT AGAIN!” ???
BE VERY CLEAR: TRUMP IS NO MESSIAH. HE EMULATES DICTATORS LIKE PUTIN AND ORBAN. HE ENJOYS HURTING AND ATTACKING OTHERS. HE IS THEMASTER BLASTER, DESYROYING OTHERS AT WILL!!
HE THINKS HITLER DID SOME GREAT THINGS
.TRUMP IS NO MESSIAH…
HE IS THE FUCKING ANTI- CHRIST!! THE ONLY DAY HE EVER ATTENDED CHURCH WAS WHEN THE CAMERAS WERE ON. HE BOWS TO NO ONE, INCLUDING GOD. HE FANCIES HIMSELF A FUCKING GOD !! HE’S A FUCKING LUNATIC WITH A GOD- COMPLEX, A HUGE GRUDGE AND A HUGER HAMMER– THE U.S. GOVERNMENT!! YOU REPUGNANTS HAVE MADE A VERY NASTY DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.AND WE ALL THOUGHT HIS F-I-R-S-T TERM WAS CHAOTIC AND DESTRUCTIVE!! WE ARE HEADING INTO HELL ON EARTH!!!
Richie-Rich
It was Obama who admitted lying to us all about keeping our doctors if we liked them. He admitted that he lied when he pushed his health care program as something that would save the American family $2500 annually in premiums.
It was Obama who said he had no Constitutional Authority to issue an executive order on DACA amnesty. But he did so anyway.
It was Biden who tried to buy votes by unconstitutionally forgiving student loans.
It was Hillary who lied about the Benghazi attacks.
It was the Deep State who lied about the Gulf of Tonkin incident that ended up the USA losing 53,000 men and women in Vietnam.
It was the Deep State who lied about WMD in Iraq resulting in millions of deaths, destruction and the loss of men and women in middle eastern conflicts.
It was Obama who pushed NATO to the east and allowed bio labs to be built in Ukraine. It was Obama who allowed Putin to annex Crimea.
This is the truth about who the real tyrants and dictators are.
Your use of CAPITALS isn’t intimidating at all.
Everything is going to be fine. We actually have a chance now for world peace and prosperity, secure borders, fiscal responsibility, health and government efficiency.