The Vegas Golden Knights, trailing 2-0 in their second-round series versus the Edmonton Oilers, face a tougher challenge after captain Mark Stone left Game 3 with an upper-body injury and will not come back.
During a busy first period, Stone was applying pressure to Oilers forward Corey Perry when he lost his balance and fell to the ice. Stone`s head made contact with Perry`s knee, and the Vegas captain took a moment before heading back to the bench.
Stone then proceeded down the tunnel to the locker room and did not rejoin the game for the second period. The Golden Knights soon confirmed that Stone would be out for the remainder of the match.
Beyond his leadership in the locker room, Stone has been the Golden Knights` top scorer in the current playoffs, netting four goals in eight contests. In the regular season, his 67 points ranked second on the team, just behind Jack Eichel.
Stone was arguably the most crucial player during the Golden Knights` 2023 Stanley Cup championship run. He not only provided outstanding defense in challenging matchups but also contributed significantly on offense with 24 points in 22 games.
With Stone sidelined, Vegas will need to depend more heavily on Eichel, and players such as Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev will have increased responsibilities.
Elton Marrow 
Torin Vale