LAS VEGAS (AP) — Following hostile crowds and chants of “no means no” in Carolina, Vegas Golden Knights netminder Carter Hart returns to the comfort of his home arena for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.
The T-Mobile Arena crowd has embraced Hart throughout the playoffs, with support growing stronger each game as he helped lead the Golden Knights to the championship series. The series stands even at one game apiece.
“Just really fortunate to be here in Vegas,” Hart said. “It’s a great culture of people.”
The hostile reception in Carolina related to Hart being among five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted of sexual assault charges last July. The NHL determined these players could sign contracts starting Oct. 15 and return to play beginning Dec. 1. Hart subsequently inked a two-year, $4 million deal with Vegas.
Ironically, Hart might have been playing for the opposition. The Hurricanes explored signing both Hart and Michael McLeod — another of the five players involved in the case — but ultimately chose not to pursue that path.
Hart’s stellar postseason performance had positioned him as a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoffs’ most valuable player.
He brought a 12-4 playoff record into the opening game, along with a 2.22 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. However, against the Hurricanes, his numbers have dipped to a 3.90 GAA and .855 save percentage.
The struggles haven’t been entirely on Hart’s shoulders. Vegas’ defense committed several uncharacteristic mistakes in the opening two contests, forcing Hart into challenging situations. Still, according to Natural Stat Trick, the expected goals against Hart and the Golden Knights reached 4.47 at five-on-five, while Carolina managed six even-strength goals.
Vegas coach John Tortorella stood by his goaltender when questioned about how Hart was managing the circumstances.
“Carter’s played very well,” Tortorella said.
Hart appeared poised to extend his postseason winning streak to eight games Thursday evening, carrying a shutout into the final 9:40 of Game 2. However, the Hurricanes found the net three times in regulation and once more in overtime for a 4-3 victory.
The Golden Knights must now regroup from this setback. They’ve faced similar situations before, dropping Game 2 in three of their four playoff series this year, including the first two at home before defeating Utah and Anaheim in six games each.
However, Vegas hasn’t experienced this type of collapse. While they’ve typically stolen victories from opponents, this time they watched one slip away.
Game 3 will reveal where Hart and his teammates truly stand.
“It’s in the past,” center William Karlsson said. “There nothing we can change, so now we just look ahead.”
