If you have been living under a rock, you may have missed the fact that the Golden Knights made a massive splash yesterday by acquiring the prize of the trade deadline market, Mark Stone. Vegas and Stone promptly agreed to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $9.5 million, so he is here to stay. Stone will make his Knights debut tonight skating on the second line with Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny, and there should be quite a buzz in the arena as the Knights move forward in the final stretch of the season. Oscar Lindberg was part of the package that went back to Ottawa; he scored in the first period of tonight’s game against Washington, but Vegas will have Ryan Carpenter back in the lineup tonight in his stead. Carpenter will join Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch on what should be an impressive and hard-working third unit. The Stars traded for Mats Zuccarello over the weekend, though he broke his arm during his first game with Dallas and is set to have surgery. Jamie Benn also will miss tonight’s contest. Here are the projected lineups for both clubs: Golden Knights Marchessault — Karlsson — Smith Pacioretty — Stastny — Stone Carpenter — Eakin — Tuch Nosek — Bellemare — Reaves Schmidt — Engelland McNabb — Theodore Merrill — Miller Fleury Subban Stars Hintz (#24) — Seguin (#91) — Radulov (#47) Cogliano (#17) — Faksa (#12) — Comeau (#15) Janmark (#13) — Spezza (#90) — Gurianov (#34) Nichushkin (#43) — Dickinson (#16) — Ritchie (#25) Lindell (#23) — Klingberg (#3) Heiskanen (#4) — Polak (#45) Oleksiak (#2) — Lovejoy (#21) Bishop (#30) Khudobin (#35) ICYMI, here is the preview for tonight’s game, as well as the preview from Defending Big D, the SB Nation site for the Dallas Stars. Let’s discuss!<doc-sep>Before tonight’s game, Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach Gerard Gallant said that his team needed to stop letting the opposing goaltender be the first star of the game. While Stars netminder Ben Bishop played a tremendous game for Dallas, Max Pacioretty took home the first-star honors tonight as he led the Knights to a 4-1 victory. Pacioretty scored twice, hitting the 20-goal mark with the game-winning strike 14:52 into the third period. It was one of three third-period goals (along with two empty-netters) for the Knights, who outshot the Stars 21-1 in the final 20 minutes of action. Pacioretty’s impressive night was also thanks to Vegas’ new-look second line, which featured Paul Stastny and the new guy, Mark Stone. While Pacioretty may have stolen the show, all eyes were on Stone in his Golden Knights debut, and he didn’t disappoint. He was one of Vegas’ best players throughout the game, generating three high-danger chances and recording three takeaways, something he is known for after leading the NHL in takeaways in each of the last five seasons. He also registered six shots, two hits and two blocks along with a plus-one rating in just over 17 minutes of ice time. But it was Dallas that got on the board first as Roope Hintz opened the scoring 11:13 into the opening frame. He capitalized on a rebound on the power play to give Dallas a 1-0 lead, which held up after a Vegas challenge for goaltender interference. The power play was a result of a penalty called on Jonathan Marchessault, who was more hot-headed in this game than usual. He took two penalties, both of which could have been costly. Fortunately, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill stepped up significantly during the second, in large part thanks to the play of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Vegas knotted things up in the second period when Pacioretty scored on the power play at 11:48. Whistled it right past Ben Bishop's ear. What a shot. pic.twitter.com/X1bAwHQK1V — Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) February 27, 2019 Alex Tuch set a fantastic screen on the play, taking away Ben Bishop’s eyes and allowing Patches to blast the puck into the twine. Pacioretty scored again with just over five minutes to go in the third, banking a shot off Tyler Seguin after stealing the puck from Bishop. Nate Schmidt and Brayden McNabb potted the empty-net goals, both of which were scored from nearly 200 feet away, to secure the win. Bishop made 44 saves on 46 shots, including six saves on Pacioretty’s game-high eight shots. Bishop’s most crucial stretch came during a 5-on-3 opportunity for Vegas. Ben Bishop robs Marchessault. What a save. pic.twitter.com/qs2XeMxsXK — Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) February 27, 2019 It was the most dangerous 5-on-3 Vegas has had this season, but Bishop completely robbed the Knights. Ultimately, however, Bishop’s stellar play wasn’t enough to overcome an excellent all-around team effort by the Knights, who dominated for three periods, holding a clear 14-4 edge in high-danger chance differential at 5-on-5. The Knights also had a 35-17 shot ratio at 5-on-5, holding Dallas to just one shot in the critical third period; the Knights outshot Dallas 48-24 on the night. Speaking of domination, Ryan Reaves was the definition of dominant tonight, at least from a physical standpoint. His clean hit on Andrew Cogliano took the Stars’ forward out of the game, and it ended up being a clear turning point in the contest. Here's another look at Ryan Reaves' hit on Andrew Cogliano. pic.twitter.com/bXNOAE6RRV — Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) February 27, 2019 That wasn’t the only imposing hit Reaves delivered, however, as he landed eight hits while rocking several other Stars skaters in the process. In addition to being an all-around team effort, it was also a 60-minute effort by the Knights, as it wasn’t just the third period that Vegas controlled. The Golden Knights had a 14-10 shot ratio at 5-on-5 in the first and a 10-6 advantage in the second. It doesn’t get much more dominant than this: Though he didn’t find the scoresheet, Stone’s two-way abilities were on full display throughout the game, and it was clear that he gelled with his new linemates, who both picked up two points in the win. In fact, the second line had a 69.23 Corsi For percentage and a 71.43 percent shot share while dominating high-danger opportunities, 5-0. That came with just a 53.33 percent offensive zone faceoff percentage. In other words, that line was very, very good. Stone had nearly three minutes of ice time on the power play, and he excelled at both ends of the ice in his first game as a Knight, though that’s something that will continue to be a staple of Stone’s game. George McPhee acknowledged the winger’s versatility earlier in the day. “[Stone’s] an all-around player...He plays in overtime, plays in your power play, kills penalties, blocks shots, he’s big, he can protect a lead, he can help you tie a game up if necessary, he scores goals, he’s a playmaker... You can play him anywhere you need him, in any situation.” But Stone had a simple game plan ahead of his Vegas debut. “I can’t change too much, I just want to be myself and play my game,” he said. “I’m not going to come in here and try to be ‘the guy.’ I want to fit in. I want to help these guys win, that’s why I’m here.” With Stone in the lineup, Vegas is now officially undefeated at 1-0-0. The Knights’ recent cold streak shortened the leash on Vegas’ lead in the standings, but tonight’s win puts the Knights six points ahead of Arizona. A few more wins like this and the Golden Knights will be just fine.<doc-sep>The Vegas Golden Knights made perhaps the biggest move ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring forward Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators for Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg, and a second-round pick in 2020 (acquired with Dylan Ferguson from Dallas for Marc Methot). Stone has since been tentatively extended to an eight-year contract, which means he stands to play in Vegas for a long time. In the Golden Knights’ last 10 home games, they have gone 2-7-1, so Stone can’t get on the ice fast enough. The Dallas Stars come to Vegas having won just three of their last nine games. Neither of these teams are at their hottest, nor their best. It’ll be interesting to see how Vegas plays against a deep Stars team (albeit one missing new acquisition Mats Zuccarello as well as Jamie Benn, who will not be available for tonight’s contest) that has a top-five defense this season. Vegas’ offense is going to need a pick-me-up against one of the best teams in the league at shutting down opposing scorers. Here’s what to watch for: A new-look top nine Stone is officially in the lineup for the Golden Knights tonight. He is set to skate on the second line with Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty. It’s possible Gerard Gallant will play around with the lines during the game, but the new second line should be quite a two-way unit as all three forwards are capable of playing in both ends. Playing with Stastny and Pacioretty should also make the transition easier for Stone since the two forwards have demonstrated such solid chemistry. Together they have managed a 62.8 Corsi For per 60 rate (51.09 CA/60) while maintaining a 55.14 Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 this season, so Stone’s strong possession metrics (including a 52.24 CF%) will fit in nicely while he simultaneously provides a strong punch of offensive firepower. Alex Tuch will move down to the third line to skate with Cody Eakin and Ryan Carpenter, who will be back in the lineup tonight in place of the recently-traded Lindberg. Tuch and Eakin played very well together earlier in the season when Erik Haula went down, so Vegas should be able to ice three competitive lines in tonight’s matchup. The Knights now have Reilly Smith, Stone and Tuch on the right side of their top three lines. Not bad. Vegas’ blue line keeping pace? With the Stars’ blue line ranking as one of the league’s best, can Vegas keep up? Well, the good news is that Vegas is tied for eighth-best in the NHL in terms of fewest goals against per game this season. The Golden Knights have allowed a fair amount of shots from the high-crease, the area right around where Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban call home. That hasn’t been ideal, but the wide swaths of blue show how Vegas has suppressed shots well this season, and has controlled, for the most part, where shots are coming from. The penalty kill has also been excellent this season and has done very similar things, though it has allowed more shots from the circles: Vegas’ defense is also eighth in terms of fewest shots allowed and sixth in fewest high-danger chances against. That’s better than Dallas in each category. In other words, as much as Dallas’ defense gives the Stars a chance to win, Vegas’ defense perhaps gives the Knights even more of an opportunity, should their goalie come through. How to win at home Winning at home for the Golden Knights has boiled down to basics. Obviously, it’s better for the Golden Knights to spend more time on the power play than on the penalty kill (12-5-2 when playing more on the man advantage, 5-5-2 when playing more shorthanded). Outscoring the other team at even strength is also obviously much better for Vegas (Vegas is 11-0-1 when outscoring the other team at 5-on-5, 4-1-3 when equal, and 2-9-0 when losing). The Golden Knights are also better when their even-strength goaltending is better. When Vegas has a 5-on-5 save percentage below .900, the Knights are 5-8-1. Between .900 and .999, Vegas is 4-2-3. With a perfect save percentage at 5-on-5, Vegas is 8-0-0. The problem is, Vegas hasn’t seen perfection since Jan. 1. The best Vegas has gotten recently came against Nashville and was from Subban. To return to form, the Knights will need to return to basics. Focus on drawing more penalties than they take, find ways to outscore teams at even strength, and get better performances out of their goaltenders. Starting with Dallas would be great. How to watch Time: 7 p.m. PT TV: AT&T SportsNet Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM<doc-sep>Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights brought in Tomas Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade deadline deal that is still working its way out. Fans already know that it cost them Joe Veleno, with a second and a third still to come. Tatar was flipped to the Montreal Canadiens for Max Pacioretty, so you might say that there is value to the deal. At a minimum, it shows that GM George McPhee isn’t afraid to roll the dice. This year, in the blockbuster of deadline day, Vegas brought in Mark Stone and appear to have locked him in for eight years at just under $10 million AAV. On Tuesday night, the Dallas Stars are first in line to feel the effects of a deal that turns a playoff contender into a legitimate threat to return to the Stanley Cup Final. It’s not that the Stars didn’t make moves of their own. Mats Zuccarello didn’t miss a beat in moving onto the first line and showed some instant chemistry with Tyler Seguin. There was certainly enough there to get fans going starry-eyed, even if it might be playoff time before Zuccarello is back from his broken arm. In addition, the Stars brought in Ben Lovejoy from the New Jersey Devils in return for Connor Carrick. Against the Chicago Blackhawks, Lovejoy blocked shots, delivered hits, and found his way to the penalty box while clearly demonstrating himself to be not Taylor Fedun in the offensive zone. For those wanting Dallas to make a big splash at the deadline, the Zuccarello deal at least demonstrated that GM Jim Nill recognized a need to fix secondary scoring. Lovejoy is a puzzle, but Carrick obviously wasn’t part of future plans, so the deal brings in some defense-first insurance for a team that has settled on a defense-first identity. The Stars also recalled Denis Gurianov, which adds options other than a coin toss between Brett Ritchie and Valeri Nichushkin to see who moves up off the fourth line. The Mark Stone pickup may be just what Vegas needs to turn around what has been a disappointing season for the defending Western Conference champions. Basic stats show the Golden Knights as middle of the pack in scoring, defending, penalty kill, and power play. Marc-Andre Fleury gets media notice, but he really stands out for leading the league in games started as a goaltender. His .907 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average are pretty ordinary. Fleury’s value comes not from his consistency (where he boasts just a .528 quality start percentage), but in his sporadic brilliance. Six shutouts for the year ties him for the league lead, and hot goaltenders make Dallas Stars fans nervous. #Starsing as the kids say on the internet. Jamie Benn was not on the ice for morning skate, so the projected lineup is updated based on lines from this morning. Dallas Stars Lineup Roope Hintz - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Blake Comeau Mattias Janmark - Jason Spezza - Denis Gurianov Valeri Nichushkin - Jason Dickinson - Brett Ritchie Esa Lindell - John Klingberg Miro Heiskanen - Roman Polak Jamie Oleksiak - Ben Lovejoy Ben Bishop Vegas Golden Knights Lineup Jonathan Marchessault - William Karlsson - Mark Stone Max Pacioretty - Paul Stastny - Reilly Smith Brandon Pirri - Cody Eakin - Alex Tuch Tomas Nosek - Pierre-Édouard Bellemare - Ryan Reaves Nate Schmidt - Deryk Engelland Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore Jon Merrill - Nick Holden Marc-Andre Fleury Keys to the Game Scoring has been a problem for the Stars. Fleury can get hot if they don’t get to him early. The Stars need to get to Fleury before he hits his comfort zone. Bringing in Zuccarello brought some hope, but with his broken arm and Jamie Benn ’s upper body injury, Dallas is once again facing daunting adversity. Low event hockey put them in a playoff spot and it’s the team defense that will keep them there. ’s upper body injury, Dallas is once again facing daunting adversity. Low event hockey put them in a playoff spot and it’s the team defense that will keep them there. Hockey games in Las Vegas generate a buzz. Don’t get too worked up, especially early. The team needs to control their emotions and stay out of the box. Dallas kept Mark Stone off of the score sheet in both games against the Ottawa Senators this year. There is no reason to not continue that trend. Let Vegas’ investment start to pay off against a different team. Did you know? There was a lot of head-scratching when Vegas signed fourth line strongman Ryan Reaves to a two-year, $5.5 million deal last June. Reaves has rewarded the Golden Knights with career highs in goals and points while maintaining his dominating physical game.<doc-sep>
Newly acquired forward Mark Stone will make his Golden Knights debut Tuesday when they host the Dallas Stars at T-Mobile Arena. Golden Knights' Mark Stone speaks to the media on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 after morning skate at City National Arena in Las Vegas. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Newly acquired forward Mark Stone will make his Golden Knights debut Tuesday when they host the Dallas Stars at T-Mobile Arena. Opening faceoff is 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain. Stone was traded to the Knights on Monday along with a minor leaguer for defensive prospect Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round pick. “It’s going to be emotional. Ottawa was the only thing I ever knew,” Stone said. “I enjoyed my eight years since I was drafted there. They treated me so well. (Monday) was a tough day for me and my family, my girlfriend, all the close people I’ve met not only through hockey, but in the city. But there’s excitement. This team is looking to win right now, and I can’t complain about that.” The Knights (32-26-5, 69 points) also activated wing Ryan Carpenter from injured reserve, and coach Gerard Gallant said he will skate on the third line with wing Alex Tuch and center Cody Eakin. Stone did not play in Ottawa’s past three games for precautionary reasons, as the Senators tried to re-sign their alternate captain to a long-term extension before working out a trade with the Knights. Stone did not participate in the Knights’ morning skate and said his gear had not arrived. Gallant will use Stone, who has 28 goals and 62 points, on a line with left wing Max Pacioretty and center Paul Stastny against Dallas. He also will see time on the power play. Marc-Andre Fleury, looking to end a personal five-game losing streak (0-4-1), was announced as the Knights starter in net. The Knights are coming off a 6-3 loss to Winnipeg on Friday and have dropped 10 of their past 13 games. They hold a six-point lead over Arizona in the Pacific Division standings. “They’re fast, they’re skilled,” defenseman Shea Theodore said of the Stars. “They’ve got their shooters, they’ve got a lot of good-skating mobile defensemen that we have to be aware. Just generally we have to be ready for a team willing to come in here and take the two points from us. “They’re pushing to make the playoffs, so obviously they’re going to come with their best game. We’ve just got to be ready for it.” Dallas (31-26-5, 67 points) holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and is 4-5-1 in its past 10 games after defeating Chicago 4-3 on Sunday. Forward Jamie Benn, the team’s second-leading goal scorer (21), left Sunday’s game and has been ruled out with an upper-body injury. Forward Mats Zuccarello, who was acquired prior to the trade deadline, suffered a broken arm Sunday in his first game with the Stars and returned to Dallas to undergo surgery. Goaltender Ben Bishop (19-13-2, 2.29 goals-against average, .924 save percentage) gets the starting nod for the Stars, who rank third in the league in goals against per game. Center Tyler Seguin leads Dallas with 26 goals and 58 points. “Last year they had a lot of trouble keeping the puck out of their net and this year, they’re one of the best in the league, if not the best,” Gallant said. “They’ve changed their game and play hard and compete hard. They play a fast hockey game and their star players are playing well. “A lot of teams are battling for playoff position, no different than we are. We were in a good position a month ago, and now we’re in a battle. It’s fun. It should be fun.” Golden Knights projected lineup Forwards Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Mark Stone Ryan Carpenter-Cody Eakin-Alex Tuch Tomas Nosek-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves Defensemen Nate Schmidt-Deryk Engelland Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore Jon Merrill-Nick Holden Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury More Golden Knights: Follow at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnightsand @HockeyinVegas on Twitter. Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.