Golden Knights’ captain leaves early in preseason loss to Sharks

If the Golden Knights were hoping for a regular preseason opener, that went retired the model aboriginal connected Sunday.

Captain Mark Stone was struck successful the broadside of the caput by a puck with 8:20 remaining successful the archetypal play and did not instrumentality to the Knights’ 4-2 nonaccomplishment to San Jose astatine T-Mobile Arena.

Defenseman Shea Theodore besides missed each of the 3rd period, portion defenseman Brayden McNabb did not play the last 12 minutes.

Stone was battling successful beforehand of the nett with Sharks defenseman Gannon Laroque erstwhile a changeable from McNabb appeared to drawback him successful the close ear.

Stone instantly motioned for the trainer and laid connected the crystal portion being attended to arsenic the announced assemblage of 17,077 watched successful hushed silence. He past headed consecutive to the locker room.

Paul Cotter scored for the Knights successful the 2nd play to chopped the shortage to 2-1, and Max Pacioretty added a power-play extremity successful the 3rd period.

Jasper Weatherby and Adam Raska took vantage of turnovers by the Knights to people successful the 2nd period, and Logan Couture added a third-period goal. Alexander Chmelevski had a power-play extremity successful the archetypal play for San Jose.

Here are 3 takeaways from the game:

1. Cotter stands out

Cotter isn’t 1 of the archetypal names mentioned successful the contention for bottom-six guardant spots, but helium helped himself against the Sharks.

The fourth-round prime successful 2018 had the team’s champion chances successful the archetypal play and cashed successful a bully walk from Jack Dugan during an odd-man rush. He finished with 3 shots connected goal, 2 takeaways and besides dished retired a team-high six hits.

Cotter produced 5 goals and 16 points successful 38 games for the Silver Knights past play and could beryllium successful enactment for a bigger relation if helium continues to execute similar helium did Sunday.

“I thought I did well,” Cotter said. “I thought I played fast, and for a preseason crippled I deliberation we each played beauteous good.”

2. Signs of beingness connected PP

The powerfulness play is simply a large storyline for the Knights this play aft their struggles with the antheral vantage led to their ouster from the playoffs.

The revamped portion looked improved, finishing 1-for-3 portion moving the puck overmuch much crisply successful the zone. Pacioretty converted successful the 3rd play aft a scramble successful front, and recently acquired Evgenii Dadonov was a menace successful the mediate of the crystal from the bumper position, hitting the station successful the 2nd period.

Nolan Patrick besides was effectual playing the net-front spot. He picked up an assistance connected Pacioretty’s goal.

“We had immoderate bully looks and got 1 there,” Patrick said. “I’ve played net-front rather a spot successful my vocation truthful I’m beauteous comfy there. I thought we moved it astir beauteous good tonight.”

3. Rookie mistakes

Defenseman Lukas Cormier was the youngest subordinate successful the Knights’ lineup, and the 2020 third-round prime struggled against the Sharks’ forecheck successful his debut.

He finished with a minus-2 standing and had 4 giveaways, including 1 starring straight to Raska’s extremity that enactment San Jose connected apical 3-1.

Peyton Krebs’ puck absorption besides near thing to beryllium desired, arsenic helium committed 4 of the team’s 15 giveaways. The apical imaginable coughed up the puck trying to marque a breakout walk done the mediate and Weatherby capitalized for the Sharks’ 2nd goal.

Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.