Golden Knights coach John Tortorella believes there is one player who gives Vegas the upper hand in its series with the Utah Mammoth, despite being down 2-1 in their opening-round series.
“If there’s one player I have an advantage with here – I’m still trying to figure out the guys – but if there’s one player I do know very well, it’s him,” Tortorella said of his goaltender, Carter Hart.
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After watching his starting netminder allow the first four goals of Friday night’s Game 3 loss in Salt Lake City, Tortorella said he never flinched and never considered replacing Hart with former starter Adin Hill, who led the Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023.
“I know Carter well enough; he wants to work through it,” Tortorella said, after the Golden Knights lost 4-2 to the Utah Mammoth. “I have faith in him. There was no thought of taking him out.”
Credit a long-standing and deep relationship between Tortorella and Hart, from their days in Philadelphia, as it’s crystal clear the confidence the veteran coach has in his 27-year-old netminder.
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It’s understood, Tortorella has Hart’s back and nothing will change that.
During his Flyers tenure, Hart was 9-5-0 allowed just 2.3 goals per start, while turning in a .926 save percentage in 14 playoff appearances. He also stopped an average of 28.5 shots per game.
What should be most important to the Knights is the fact that Hart was 4-0 after a playoff loss in Philadelphia, including two times he allowed four goals, just like Friday in Salt Lake City, where he suffered his first setback after a playoff loss during his career.
“I think he cares,” Totorella said. “I know there (weren’t) a lot of shots on goal, and there (were) four goals, but it was a weird game. They were very opportunistic. When they had chances, they scored.”
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To say the least.
In reference to Tortorella’s comments, the Mammoth finished with just 12 shots on goal, leaving Hart with eight saves.
And despite the Mammoth scoring on a third of their shots, Tortorella’s confidence remains in place as the Golden Knights approach a must-win situation in Game 4 on Monday.
“I don’t look at his game as being a real bad game; it was a weird game for him,” Tortorella said. “But I know him so well. He has an attitude and a mental toughness about him at that position. He’s smart enough, strong enough, to push that away, have a good practice (Sunday), and get ready for Game 4.
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“He’ll be fine.”
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) tends the net against the Utah Mammoth during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center.
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