Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone still feel chemistry is ‘coming’
Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone have been linemates for more than 10 months. In that time the former rivals have quickly turned into fast friends and a dominant wing duo.
So how would they describe their chemistry?
“It’s coming,” Stone said.
If that’s true, the rest of the NHL should be worried. Pacioretty and Stone are not just the Knights’ two leading scorers . They’re two of the top 20 scorers in the league. That’s in large part thanks to their ability to play off each other, as well as new center Chandler Stephenson.
“Every game we feel like we have (been) better,” Stone said Saturday after scoring two goals in a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. “We’re talking after the game that there was even more to give. I thought we played well. But there’s still more, I think, for us with Chandler. We really put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be better players night in and night out.”
It’s hard to envision any of the three playing better than they are right now. Pacioretty and Stone, who Stephenson has routinely called two “All-Stars” since his arrival via trade, are each on pace for a career-high in points.
Pacioretty has 40 this season, the same number as last year’s Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. That matches Pacioretty’s total from his first year with the Knights.
Stone has 39. And despite enjoying a career-best offensive season, he’s still providing the defensive play that made him a Selke Trophy finalist in June.
“I think everybody knows by now he that he’s probably got the best stick in the league,” Pacioretty said. “He’s always created turnovers and it’s nice to see him get rewarded for them because he’s always doing so much away from the puck for the line.”
The combination of Pacioretty’s offensive gifts and Stone’s two-way play has been a boon for whichever center has played between them. Since Stone joined the Knights, the two have outscored opponents 31-22 when on the ice together.
The middle man currently benefiting is Stephenson, who at the beginning of this month was cast aside by the Washington Capitals for a 2021 fifth-round pick. The career bottom-six grinder is playing perhaps the best hockey of his career as the Knights’ second-line center, with six points in 10 games since moving between Pacioretty and Stone.
His speed gives the two wingers an element they haven’t played with before. He is able to start the forecheck quickly and give his two talented linemates more room to operate.
“He’s been really helpful for our line,” Pacioretty said. “Skating really well. He seems to always jump up in the play and get available. On the second wave, that really makes it easy to delay and find stuff. I think as a line we’re trending the right way.”
The results speak for themselves. Pacioretty, Stephenson and Stone are outscoring opponents 10-1 when on the ice together. They own a 60.85 shot attempts percentage and a 67.52 scoring chance percentage. Those numbers are all better than the ones Pacioretty and Stone had with center Paul Stastny, even though that line had a strong argument that it was the best on the team.
Not bad for three players whose chemistry is still “coming.”
More Golden Knights: Follow at reviewjournal.com/
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
Kolesar sent down
The Golden Knights sent forward Keegan Kolesar to the American Hockey League after Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Kolesar, 22, warmed up Saturday but didn't play. He has yet to make his NHL debut.
Kolesar has six assists in 18 games with the Chicago Wolves. He had 20 goals and 36 points — in addition to 90 penalty minutes — in 74 games last season to help the Wolves reach the Calder Cup Final.
