The Vegas Golden Knights lost 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, moving just one loss away from leaving the postseason empty-handed.
After the contest, head coach John Tortorella provided one of his classic postgame press conferences, particularly sparking to life when asked if he had any concerns about goaltender Carter Hart.
Hart allowed four goals in the loss, prompting the Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus to wonder if Tortorella gave any thought to pulling Hart in favor of backup Adin Hill. In response, Tortorella winced before saying, “Oh, for Christ — that could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”
After the dust settled, Lazarus shared that other members of the media jumped in to console him after the presser ended, saying it was a fair question. Lazarus relayed that, while he was mortified in the moment, he has no hard feelings toward Tortorella, adding that fellow reporters told him that bearing the brunt of Tortorella’s wrath was a badge of honor.
“I felt like I was being bar mitzvah’d or something,” Lazarus said. “I don’t really know what else to say. It was wild.”
The question also wasn’t baseless — Hart has given up four or more goals in all five Stanley Cup Final games that have been played this spring, the first time a goaltender has done so in NHL history.
And, Hill, who played in just 27 games this season due to injury, helped lead Vegas to the franchise’s first-ever championship in 2023. During that playoff run, Hill took the reins in the second round from Laurent Brossoit and went 11-4 with a .932 save percentage.
Tortorella, who historically battles with members of the media, already created some controversy earlier this playoffs when he declined to do his typical postgame press conference after Vegas’ round two series victory. As a result, he received a $100,000 fine and cost the Golden Knights a 2026 second-round draft pick.
The Golden Knights will need their coach and goaltender to quickly find happier times again, as their must-win Game 6 is set for Sunday night in Vegas. On Thursday night, Tortorella added that he is so confident his team will make the trip back to Raleigh for Game 7 that he plans to leave some of his belongings in his hotel room.
“We’re just going to get ready for our next game,” Tortorella said. “We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order. We gotta find a way. I’m going to leave my clothes here, that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”
The Stanley Cup will be at the Lenovo Center on Sunday, with puck drop at 8 pm.
