Mark Stone returned to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup Sunday after a five-game absence and immediately swung Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, scoring a power-play goal 19 seconds into the second period and later picking up the primary assist on Tomas Hertl’s go-ahead goal as Vegas beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 at T-Mobile Arena.
Stone’s power-play strike cut the deficit to 3-1, and his feed to Hertl at 8:21 of the third period produced the goal that put Vegas ahead 4-3. The victory left the Golden Knights up 3-0 in the best-of-7 series and one win from eliminating Colorado.
For mark stone hockey fans the night offered reminder after reminder of why Stone matters in the postseason: he had 73 points in 60 regular-season games (28 goals, 45 assists) and came into the series with nine points in 10 playoff games this spring. Over his career he’s now at 94 postseason points in 122 games, including 45 goals and 49 assists; his best playoff year was 2023 when he had 24 points in 22 games and helped Vegas win its first Stanley Cup.
Stone missed five games after exiting Game 3 of the second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks with an apparent lower-body injury. Vegas went 4-1 without him, a fact that created an undercurrent to his return: the team had continued to win, but was getting the luxury of adding back a top-line playmaker at a critical moment.
Stone spoke plainly about the pull of being sidelined. "I mean, I don’t like watching. Ever," he said. He called injuries an unfortunate recurring theme: "(Injuries) have been an unfortunate part of my career, but this time of year is definitely harder." He described the lead-up to returning: "Been rehabbing, pushing the past couple of weeks... Like I said, it’s a lot easier when the team is playing the way it is playing. So yeah, I was inching closer, trying to buy a little more time. And (Saturday) I felt like there was no reason not to jump back in there." By the end of the night he could be confident: "So tonight I felt great."
Noah Hanifin, speaking for Colorado’s roster, underlined the non-statistical value Stone brings. "It’s huge," Hanifin said. "Obviously, his talent speaks for itself, but just his character and leadership, just to have him back in the room and get his voice back, it’s going to be huge for our team. Anytime he comes back it’s like he didn’t miss a beat, so we’re very excited to have him back in the lineup." The remark underscored the double-edged nature of Stone’s return: it helped Vegas on the ice and restored a leadership presence in the locker room.
Colorado entered Game 3 with a different returning star: Cale Makar, who was back after missing time with an apparent upper-body injury he aggravated in Game 5 of the Avalanche’s second-round series against the Minnesota Wild. Makar’s absence had been felt on special teams; Colorado had scored just once on seven power-play chances without him running things up top. Makar was 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 games this season and had four goals and an assist in nine playoff games going into Game 3.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was cautious about Makar’s status, emphasizing that recovery is subjective. "We’ll have to wait and see," Bednar said. "He’s dealing with an injury, obviously, and he’s been in the gym strengthening and testing it on the ice. Cale is the only person that knows when he’s good enough to play. That’s why it’s his decision." The exchange highlighted a tension at the heart of this series: both teams are juggling returned players and lingering effects of injuries while trying to push toward the Cup Final.
Stone’s return was not just about a pair of plays on the scoresheet. It was a sentence-level change in momentum—19 seconds into a period and an assist that flipped the score at 8:21 of the third—and a reminder that his playoff résumé is heavy with big moments. Still, Vegas proved it could win without him, and Colorado’s lineup was not at full certainty even with Makar back.
The immediate consequence is concrete: Vegas can eliminate the Avalanche with another win in Game 4 on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. That is the single, clarifying question now hanging over both teams—can the Golden Knights close the series, or will Colorado stave off elimination and force a return to Colorado?
