Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart is anchoring the team's postseason run heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference final against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at 8 p.
m. ET.
Hart helped secure a Game 1 victory by stopping 36 of 38 shots in a hostile road environment.
The performance allowed Vegas to steal home-ice advantage from Colorado despite Hart dealing with late-game cramping.
Hart has started all 13 playoff games for Vegas, compiling a 9-4 record alongside a 2.35 goals-against average and a .
920 save percentage during the postseason run.
Tortorella Praises Hart's Growth
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella praised his starting netminder before the second matchup of the series. "Carter Hart's a hell of a goalie," said Tortorella.
The veteran coach highlighted the goaltender's growth since their previous time together in Philadelphia.
Tortorella previously coached Hart for two seasons with the Flyers, who originally selected the netminder 48th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
"I think he's grown so strong mentally. I don't think much bothers him.
He is just zeroed in, and he's going to have to be, because we've got a little bit of work to do here," said Tortorella.
Hart had taken a leave of absence at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season and went unsigned during the 2024-25 campaign amid sexual assault allegations.
After the NHL determined that the five accused players were found not guilty and cleared to sign contracts, Vegas signed Hart in December 2025.
Tortorella has leaned exclusively on Hart in the playoffs, opting to keep former Stanley Cup winner Adin Hill on the bench despite his availability.
The team's goaltending position had previously seen instability under former coach Bruce Cassidy due to injuries to Hill and the usage of Logan Thompson and Akira Schmid.
"'Hilly,' he's a Stanley Cup winner, right?" said Tortorella.
"We have trust in him. We haven't gone there.
We felt Carter has played that well, so we've stayed with him. It's not like you're trying to fix something that isn't broke."
The decision to stick with the current rotation comes as Vegas relies on goaltending to balance out its high-scoring skater performances.
While teammates Mitch Marner leads the NHL with 19 playoff points and Pavel Dorofeyev leads with 10 postseason goals, Hart remains the defensive anchor.
