Golden Knights captain Mark Stone to miss Game 4 vs Ducks with injury

Audio By Carbonatix

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Anaheim on Sunday night with an undisclosed injury.

Coach John Tortorella said veteran Brandon Saad will draw in for Stone, who got hurt in the first period of Game 3 on Friday.

Stone attempted to return to the game, but couldn't do it after apparently injuring some part of his lower body while chasing down a puck in the first period of the Knights' 6-2 victory. Vegas leads the series 2-1.

Stone had picked up a first-period assist on Shea Theodore's opening goal in the rout, giving him three goals and four assists in nine playoff games this season.

The 33-year-old Stone scored 73 points in 60 games for Vegas during the regular season. The two-way forward has been a mainstay for the Golden Knights since late in the 2018-19 season, becoming the first captain in club history before leading Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with a hat trick in the clinching victory.

Saad scored nine points in 49 games for Vegas during the regular season. Game 4 will be his first appearance in this postseason, but the well-traveled forward played in eight postseason games for the Golden Knights last spring.

“Playoff hockey is the best time of the year, so I'm excited to get in and help the team win,” Saad told reporters at the pregame skate.

Tortorella chose Saad over Reilly Smith, who played all six games of Vegas' first-round series victory over Utah before being scratched for every game against Anaheim.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL