Everything changes for the Vegas Golden Knights after their captain leaves with an injury in Game 3

The Golden Knights beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-2, but the bigger story was Stone trying to come back after a lower-body injury and then disappearing down the tunnel.

That changes the tone of the series. Vegas leads 2-1, yet its captain's status now sits over every matchup decision before Game 4.

Stone isn't a replaceable winger in this setup. He is a top-six puck manager, a net-front power-play piece, and one of the main voices in that locker room.

Mitch Marner's natural hat trick covered the scoreboard problem. It did not erase the deployment problem.

Vegas already had the game tilted, but Stone's exit forced Tortorella to think beyond one night and into the next bench sheet.

Stone did not just leave and stay gone. He tried to test it, looked limited, and then went back to the locker room.

That is the detail that should worry Vegas. A player can play through pain in May, but a lower-body issue changes stride power, puck support, and defensive routes.

If Stone is unavailable, Vegas loses more than offense. It loses a forward trusted to close shifts, slow the puck down, and win the small wall plays that decide playoff periods.

The Golden Knights went 39-26-17 in the regular season, with a +15 goal differential. That was good enough to win the Pacific, but not dominant enough to absorb careless lineup damage.

Game 4 now becomes a coaching test. Tortorella has to protect the top six, keep the power play functional, and avoid asking depth forwards to play above their ceiling.

Marner gave Vegas breathing room. Stone's leg took some of it away.

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