Mark Stone insists his latest injury scare had nothing to do with a crushing hit or lingering back trouble. Instead, the Vegas Golden Knights captain pointed to an unusual culprit: the grind of the Winter Olympics.

After missing five games with an upper-body injury, Stone said the ailment was largely the result of travel, fatigue, and the condensed schedule that followed the international tournament.

“Nothing alarming at all,” Stone said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Just needed a little bit of time to let the body recover more than anything.”

Stone returned to the lineup Thursday and showed little rust in Vegas’ 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran winger logged 17 minutes and 52 seconds of ice time and finished with a plus-2 rating while helping steady a lineup that had been searching for consistency.

The injury originally occurred March 1 — also against Pittsburgh — when Stone exited late in the first period after taking a light check from Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. The contact sent Stone briefly to one knee before he slowly skated to the bench and did not return.

Given the 33-year-old’s history of back issues — including two surgeries — the moment raised immediate concern.

But Stone said the problem was unrelated to his back. Instead, he described it as a strain on his side that developed as his body tried to adjust after returning from international play.

“It wasn’t super alarming, which was nice for once,” Stone continued. “Probably from some pretty crazy travel coming back from Milan, going right into games. It was a quick turnaround.

“It was pretty comforting. I got right back into the gym, started rehabbing right away. Bounced back pretty quick. Nothing to be worried about at all.”

His quick recovery was somewhat surprising given how Thursday began.

Stone wore a red noncontact jersey during the morning skate — typically a sign a player won’t dress that night. Yet he remained heavily involved in drills, participating in line rushes and even joining the power-play unit late in the session.

After testing the injury further, Stone decided there was little reason to sit out longer.

“Felt good (Thursday) to get back on the ice with the guys and felt really good in the skate,” Stone said. “No sense sitting around when you feel great. It was good to get back in.”

The timing of his return was significant for Vegas.

The Knights had struggled to regain rhythm since the Olympic break, entering Thursday with just two wins in their previous eight games. Stone’s presence helped restore balance to the forward lines, even though he didn’t record a point.

Tomas Hertl shifted back to second-line center while Mitch Marner moved to right wing. Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev both contributed offensively, while Hertl and Dorofeyev each finished the night at plus-3.

Vegas also rolled with four natural centers — Hertl, Colton Sissons, Nic Dowd, and Marner rotating into the middle when needed — giving the lineup a level of structure the club had recently lacked.

Stone’s impact goes beyond matchups and ice time.

“Calming presence, which is great as well in the locker room,” Marner said of Stone. “Getting him back is a big step for this team. He does so much for us on the ice, and off.”

The win helped the Golden Knights climb back into second place in the Pacific Division, and Stone believes his return could help stabilize a team that had started pressing offensively.

Watching from the press box during his absence, he noticed the group trying to force plays rather than letting the game come naturally.

“My body kind of turned a corner real quick as far as things went. I was ready to roll as far as playing,” Stone said. “I just think the conditioning was a little bit behind, so I feel pretty good now.”

Stone admitted his conditioning still wasn’t where he wanted it to be Thursday, though he took part in the team’s optional practice Friday and is expected to be ready for Saturday’s home matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.