Nathan Smith
The Vegas Golden Knights came into the Stanley Cup Final full of momentum on the back of a dominant four game sweep over the Colorado Avalanche. That led them to a matchup in the Stanley Cup Final with the Carolina Hurricanes, and thus far, it’s been one of the most exciting series in recent NHL history.
On Thursday night, the two teams played a critical Game 5 in Carolina, and with the series locked at 2-2, it was the home team that dominated, putting up the first one-sided game of the series as they were victorious 4-2.
Carter Hart Makes Unfortunate NHL History with Another Tough Loss
While he came into the Stanley Cup Final on the back of a dominant run, Carter Hart has struggled thus far in the biggest series of his life, with a save percentage at .870 or below in four of the first five games. Things didn’t get better on Wednesday either, as Hart allowed four goals on just 24 shots for a save percentage of .833 in a pivotal Game 5.
Not only was it a poor performance individually, but it added up to more NHL history for Hart, as he’s become the first goaltender in league history to allow four or more goals in the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final. Before this series against the Hurricanes, Hart posted a save percentage above .910 in six straight games, allowing a total of just seven goals in their four-game sweep of the Avs.
Unfortunately for Vegas, he’s fallen apart in the most important series of the year, and while the team are down just 3-2 through five games, that comes on the back of the offense having to score five goals in their Game 1 and 3 victories. With Game 6 set to take place on home ice, Hart has the opportunity to redeem himself, because without William Karlsson and momentum against them, he may need to stand on his head to keep this team in the series.
Given the baggage that comes with Hart, he needs to be much better than this to justify signing him in the first place, and while his overall save percentage still sits at .909 in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, now is the time to step up and show why he was worth signing in free agency.
