3 takeaways from Knights’ Game 2 win: Captain fuels comeback
Mark Stone flung himself at the glass behind the Winnipeg Jets’ net, got tackled by teammates and slammed his stick on the ice.
The Golden Knights captain had three months of pent-up energy to release after sitting out 39 games with a back injury that required surgery. And did he ever.
Stone celebrated his first goal since Jan. 5 with all the enthusiasm the Knights have come to expect from their emotional leader. His trademark explosive celebrations were back Thursday. So was the Knights’ swagger.
Despite taking body blows in the form of a 5-1 Game 1 loss and a rough first period Thursday, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed showcased the resiliency that has been a hallmark of their season. The Knights, behind three points from Stone, rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Jets 5-2 in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena.
They tied the best-of-seven series 1-1 before the action switches to Winnipeg for Games 3 and 4.
It was a critical win for the home side. Higher seeds that split the first two games go on to advance 54.9 percent of the time. Those that go down 0-2 move on 19 percent of the time.
“I’ve played a long time in this league and been on some runs,” Stone said. “You just want to be part of a team that has a chance to win, and you obviously want to contribute, but you just want to keep winning games. We needed this to tie the series.”
The Knights tried to downplay expectations for Stone heading into the playoffs.
He was activated off long-term injured reserve to play in Game 1 after undergoing back surgery Jan. 31. The Knights knew there would be rust to shake off and that Stone couldn’t immediately become the two-way terrorizing force he is at his best.
They were right. He wasn’t at his best in Game 1 despite playing 21:28, second-most on the team and tops among forwards. But it didn’t take him much longer than that.
Stone recorded a point on all three third-period goals Thursday that allowed the Knights to pull away from the Jets after entering the period tied 2-2.
He set up defenseman Alex Pietrangelo for a shot off a faceoff 5:37 into the third, and center Chandler Stephenson cleaned up the rebound to give his team a 3-2 lead. Stephenson returned the favor 7:24 later on a play that sent Stone and the announced crowd of 18,333 into a frenzy.
Stone tipped a backdoor pass puck past goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, then went berserk with his teammates. Left wing Brett Howden jumped on Stone to start a dogpile that lasted seven seconds. If there was ever a scene that showed how much Stone means to his teammates, that was it.
”His emotions just run through the team,” center Jack Eichel said.
Stone added one more goal from the slot to seal the Knights’ win with 2:30 remaining. His third three-point game this season helped his team improve to 5-1 in its history in Game 2s after losing Game 1.
He got his team back in the series. Now, the Knights have life heading into Stone’s hometown.
”The big-time players come up in the right moments, and that’s exactly what he did,” Pietrangelo said. “I tell you what, I’ve played with a lot of good players, but there’s not many people that can do what he does at both ends of the ice. And when you play with him and you play (with him) a long time, you really appreciate the things that he does night in and night out. He’s one hell of a leader.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
1. Centers of attention
The Knights’ three goals that didn’t come from Stone all belonged to three of their men down the middle, including Stephenson.
Eichel, after a nondescript playoff debut, drew two penalties, put three shots on goal and scored his first postseason goal in 19:04 of ice time.
“It felt great,” Eichel said. “A long time coming.”
William Karlsson’s high-effort hockey was again noticeable all night. He scored for the second straight game and added an assist. The Knights have a 16-12 edge in scoring chances with Karlsson on the ice at five-on-five in the series.
2. Goalie duel
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit outdueled his former partner Hellebuyck for his first postseason win.
Brossoit made 31 saves against his former team, including 16 in the first period. His efforts kept the Knights’ deficit at 1-0 after 20 minutes. Brossoit needed to make only 15 saves the rest of the game.
“I would say the boys — especially in the second and third periods — made it easier on me,” Brossoit said. “That’s what I was used to in the regular season and what we’ll probably see the rest of this series.”
Hellebuyck had 34 saves, including an incredible first-period stop on Stephenson. Hellebuyck darted to his left to snag a one-timer with his glove, keeping the puck from crossing the goal line by inches.
3. Doing it all
Pietrangelo finished with two points for his 10th career multipoint game in the playoffs.
The 33-year-old played an important role for his team on both ends of the ice. He and partner Alec Martinez spent the majority of their five-on-five time against the Jets’ top line of left wing Kyle Connor, center Pierre-Luc Dubois and right wing Mark Scheifele.
All three players were held off the scoresheet after accounting for three points and 12 shots in Winnipeg’s Game 1 victory.
“They relish that role,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’ve given it to them most of the year. It’s either line one or two that they’re usually playing against.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
