Scott Kane / AP
Vegas Golden Knights’ Mark Stone is congratulated by teammate Alex Pietrangelo, left, after scoring a goal during the first period against the St. Louis Blues, Friday, April 29, 2022, in St. Louis.
Published Friday, April 29, 2022 | 7:32 p.m.
Updated Friday, April 29, 2022 | 8:57 p.m.
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The rebound lands on Mark Stone’s stick. He pounces on it, flicks his stick and scores his first goal in two months.
Normally expressive after a goal, Stone turned around in a subdued manner, fist-bumped his power-play mates and proceeded back to the bench.
If there was ever a moment that defined the Golden Knights’ season down the stretch, that was it.
Stone scored, and Jonathan Marchessault scored his 30th of the season for Vegas in a 7-4 victory against the St. Louis Blues in their season finale, officially starting the clock on a long and likely eventful offseason.
“The guys played hard. Again, not the greatest circumstances, as we know. But we didn’t mail it in,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We showed up, like we did most nights this year and battled hard and found a way to win. There will be time to reflect on the bigger picture, but at least we can feel good about the effort we put in tonight.”
This season caps off a frustrating season for the Golden Knights from a health perspective, particularly for Stone, who missed 45 games this season due to an ongoing back issue that he could never get under control.
Vegas’ captain returned April 12 for one last chance to push his team to the postseason, but it was clear he wasn’t 100 percent. The effort wasn’t the issue, but the Stone that has been a gamechanger at both ends of the ice wasn’t there, to no fault of his own.
“I definitely tried to rush back,” Stone said that day. “It’s not easy sitting out. You’re wired to play games. ... That first time, I tried to push a little early, and unfortunately, I didn’t do myself anything there.”
Stone said April 18 that this was going to be an important offseason for injury management. Stone saw six specialists before going on long-term injured reserve in February.
In hindsight, it’s easy to look at the Golden Knights’ season and think what could’ve been if Stone had been healthy for a full season, or if Max Pacioretty never suffered the injuries that plagued his season.
“It’s tough when you’re not playing,” Stone said. “When you’re not in the fight every day, it’s tough to speak up [as a captain].”
But the Golden Knights picked a good time to finish strong. Jack Eichel had two goals and an assist, and Zach Whitecloud scored his eighth of the year.
William Karlsson broke a 3-3 tie 3:20 into the third, and Marchessault added to the lead 3:21 later to cap off his second career 30-goal season.
Logan Thompson made 14 saves for his first win in four starts, a needed rebound after three deflating losses via shootout that ended Vegas’ season.
“I wish we didn’t have the long layoff as we do. A lot of time to reflect this offseason. I’m already excited for next year,” Eichel said. “I think it’ll be a good opportunity for us to prove ourselves again.”
If the Golden Knights are looking for optimism heading into the summer, it’s that they have a long rest ahead after playing a ton of hockey over the past two-plus seasons.
It’s been 626 days since the Golden Knights entered the Edmonton bubble to complete the Stanley Cup Playoffs due to the pandemic. They were back two months later, playing a 56-game season in four months and making another conference final appearance.
The Golden Knights could use a break. It’s a longer one than normal, but it might be needed.
“There’s obviously a lot of positives to take away, a lot of learning aspects that we need to take away heading into this offseason,” Whitecloud said. “Take a look at everything and come back and be ready next year.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
