The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 during a Monday matinee, and Mark Stone recorded the 1st regular season hat trick of his NHL career. The captain stepped up in a big way on the heels of the news that Jack Eichel was placed on injured reserve, and it was a much needed win following a frustrating loss against the Calgary Flames. Monday’s victory certainly provided a big morale boost for the defending Cup Champions, and was an example of how talented the team is, even though they are still missing some key players.
Stone scored at 15:25 of the 1st period, and at 1:11 and 19:36 of the 2nd period, and Jonathan Marchessault added an empty netter to make it 4-1 with just seconds remaining in the game.
In addition to Stone’s 3-point night, Pavel Dorofeyev and Chandler Stephenson each picked up a pair of assists. Nicolas Roy also had an assist too.
Logan Thompson once again stood tall between the pipes for the Golden Knights, and stopped 34 of 35 shots faced including 6 of 6 on the power play. He’s been a strong competitor since returning to action, and that is huge for the team while Adin Hill remains sidelined. Stone’s goals were certainly a big story for Vegas, but Thompson deserves a fair share of kudos as well.
These charts certainly highlight the importance of Thompson’s performance, and it is something the team certainly is happy to have working in their favor. The Golden Knights will enjoy Tuesday and Wednesday off, and are back in action again on Thursday vs. the New York Rangers.