Wednesday night’s showdown between the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Los Angeles Kings turned into a heated battle following a thunderous hit by Kings’ forward Hayden Hodgson on Golden Knights’ captain Mark Stone. Stone didn’t like it one bit and verbally took the low road after the game when asked by the media about the incident.
The hit and ensuing melee unfolded midway through the second period as Stone chased down a bouncing puck in Vegas’ defensive zone. Hodgson executed a powerful but clean hit, sending Stone flying. Not hurt on the play, Stone bounced up immediately and went after Hodgson or anyone he could get his hands on. In the aftermath, Stone didn’t mince words when expressing his feelings about the hit.
“That’s probably the last time I’ll ever play against that guy. Not really much of a player, so I’ll leave it at that,” Stone remarked, clearly unimpressed by Hodgson’s hit. However, Stone’s comments didn’t end there. He went on to suggest that he had intimidated Kings’ defenseman Brandt Clarke during the ensuing scrum, emphasizing the physicality of the preseason encounter. He noted he was looking for any skilled player he could go after and Clarke was the closest to him.
Stone’s candid postgame interview drew mixed reactions from fans and observers. Some felt that he should have accepted the hit and moved on, while others defended his reaction.
Was Mark Stone Out of Line?
Comparing the two players’ recent NHL performances further fueled the debate. Stone boasts impressive statistics, and is considered one of the best two-way players in the game, having recently won a Stanley Cup as the team’s captain. In contrast, Hayden Hodgson’s limited NHL experience consists of just seven games, during which he scored one goal and provided two assists. It begs the question, just because Stone was right about each player’s skill set, should he have taken such a cheap shot?
The clash between these two players has ignited passionate discussions within the hockey community, with opinions divided on the significance of the hit and Stone’s response. As the season progresses, the rivalry between the Golden Knights and Kings promises to add even more excitement to the NHL landscape.
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