DALLAS -- Any questions about how Mark Stone would handle his first game in three months were quickly answered Monday night in the Vegas Golden Knights' 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.
How much time did Stone need before finding the type of comfort that allowed him to carve his place in an opening-round playoff game?
Try less than 90 seconds.
Stars forward Sam Steel was given a two-minute minor for high-sticking just 26 seconds into the first period. That created an opportunity for the Golden Knights power-play unit which parlayed the Stars' misfortune into a 1-0 goal that was scored by Stone.