The Vegas Golden Knights are on the brink of elimination in the Stanley Cup Final, trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. With Game 6 set for Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena, coach John Tortorella faces a tough decision in net: stick with struggling starter Carter Hart or turn to Stanley Cup-winning backup Adin Hill.
Hart has allowed four goals in each of the five games, posting an .856 save percentage and a 3.70 goals-against average — historically poor numbers for a Cup Final. Yet Tortorella, who coached Hart in Philadelphia, has shown unwavering faith in his goaltender. When asked after Game 5 if he considered inserting Hill in the third period, Tortorella snapped: “Oh, Christ, that could be the stupidest question I’ve ever heard.”
But the numbers are hard to ignore. The defense in front of Hart has also been porous, but the goaltender hasn’t been sharp. Meanwhile, Hill has a proven track record of stepping in mid-series. In 2024, he replaced Logan Thompson in Game 5 against Dallas and allowed just five goals in three starts. More famously, in 2023, he took over for an injured Laurent Brossoit in Game 3 of the second round and backstopped the Knights to their first Stanley Cup.
“Any time you get injured, it’s not great, but this is the most time I’ve missed with one injury,” Hill said at media day. “It was a long recovery. I feel good now, and we are where we are as a team. Hoping we can finish strong. Obviously, as an athlete, you want to be playing.”
Hart, however, has not addressed the media during the series despite repeated requests. Tortorella previously said of Hill, “It’s a matter of trust. We have a guy in Carter who has played very well, but (Hill) is a Stanley Cup winner. We have trust in him.”
Whether that trust extends to a Game 6 start remains to be seen. If Tortorella sticks with Hart, the skaters in front of him must elevate their game. But with the season on the line, Hill’s history of rising to the occasion makes a compelling case for a change.
