Mark Stone made a triumphant return to the ice after recovering from a lacerated spleen, propelling the Vegas Golden Knights to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at the American Airlines Center on Monday.
Stone’s absence stretched across the final 26 games of the regular season following the injury he sustained against the Nashville Predators on February 20th.
Contributions from Jonathan Marchessault, Tomas Hertl, and Brayden McNabb bolstered the Golden Knights’ efforts, with Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin each chipping in two assists. In goal, Logan Thompson stood firm with 27 saves.
On the opposing side, Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, and Mason Marchment found the net for the Stars, with Jake Oettinger recording 11 saves.
The anticipation for Game 2 intensifies as the series continues in Dallas on Wednesday.
Stone wasted no time making an impact, opening the scoring for the Golden Knights just 1:23 into the first period with a redirect off Hanifin’s shot on the power play.
Marchessault furthered the lead to 2-0 at 8:27, slipping the puck through Oettinger’s five-hole.
Benn narrowed the gap to 2-1 at 16:07 with a breakaway goal, capitalizing on a precise stretch pass from Wyatt Johnston.
Hertl increased the Golden Knights’ lead to 3-1 at 17:51, capitalizing on a rebound from Hanifin’s shot.
A swift response from Robertson, who netted a wrist shot from the left circle, brought the Stars back into contention at 3-2 just 38 seconds later.
McNabb extended the Golden Knights’ lead to 4-2 at 1:06 of the second period with a fortuitous deflection off Miro Heiskanen.
Despite Marchment’s late goal at 11:46 of the third period, slipping the puck under Thompson’s glove, the Golden Knights managed to hold on for a crucial Game 1 victory.
