Stone credits – Mark Stone says John Tortorella’s brief time with the Vegas Golden Knights has injected “a jolt of energy,” after Vegas swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. Stone opened the scoring in Game 4, and Vegas w
For Vegas, the switch felt immediate.
Mark Stone joined ESPN’s Emily Kaplan for an interview right after Game 4 on Tuesday night, when the Golden Knights were already in a position most teams only dream about: they’ve made the 2026 Stanley Cup Final after sweeping the Colorado Avalanche.
The sweep is a brutal statement in its own right. Colorado entered as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning team, and Vegas dominated a series that gave John Tortorella only eight games to leave his fingerprint on the roster.
Asked what Tortorella changed in the short time since taking over, Stone didn’t talk about a dramatic overhaul. Instead, the Vegas captain described a quieter shift—one that landed with the speed of a spark.
“Just brought a jolt of energy, I think. He didn’t change a ton. I think he trusts us. We’ve been here before. So I think he came in and just tweaked a few things. He really just gave us a shot of adrenaline since joining the team,” Stone told Kaplan on Tuesday night.
Game 4 played out the way Stone’s words sounded on a night Vegas needed answers. Stone opened the scoring on Tuesday night. and his goal stayed the only marker of the game until late in the third period. When the game tightened into its final stretch. Cole Smith scored to double the Vegas lead with a little less than six minutes remaining.
Colorado did find one response. Gabe Landeskog scored for the Avalanche, but it arrived too late for the kind of turnaround that would have kept the series alive.
Stone’s goal, Smith’s late insurance, and Landeskog’s late reply were all there—clear beats in a night that ended with Vegas moving on. The Golden Knights now won’t know their final opponent until the Eastern bracket is finished.
In the East Final, the Carolina Hurricanes hold a 2-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens. That series continues on Wednesday for Game 4, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday night.
Stone’s description of Tortorella’s impact—small tweaks paired with a surge of adrenaline—lands neatly beside what Vegas already delivered: a sweep over a Presidents’ Trophy winner, achieved in a timeframe that made the turnaround feel almost impossible on paper, and real on the ice.
Mark Stone John Tortorella Vegas Golden Knights Colorado Avalanche 2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 4 Presidents' Trophy Cole Smith Gabe Landeskog Carolina Hurricanes Montreal Canadiens East Final
So Tortorella basically just “vibes” them into a cup run? lol
I didn’t even realize he was only there for like 8 games. How do you even change anything that fast, unless the team was already stacked.
Stone says he didn’t change a ton but like… he’s still the coach right? I feel like people just say “energy” when they mean they adjusted special teams or whatever. Also Colorado scoring late doesn’t mean anything if it’s already over right? I dunno.
Presidents Trophy sweep? That seems crazy, like Colorado should’ve been way tougher. I swear I saw something about the Hurricanes earlier too, so is Vegas gonna play them or Montreal? These series dates confuse me, like Game 4 Wednesday then Game 5 Friday, but which one decides the opponent again?