Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella didn't mince words in the postgame press conference after Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

On Thursday, Carolina nabbed a 4-2 victory at the Lenovo Center, taking a 3-2 series lead.  In addition to suffering a crushing defeat, Vegas also lost forward William Karlsson due to an upper-body injury. 

Facing an elimination game on Sunday, Tortorella answered questions about struggling goaltender Carter Hart.

When asked whether he would consider bringing in backup Adin Hill for Game 6, he snapped at the reporter.

"That could be the stupidest question I've heard," he said, per Mike Zeisberger for NHL.com. 

Carter Hart has allowed four goals in each of the first five games of the Final, becoming the first goalie in Stanley Cup Final history to mark this unsavory feat.

The 27-year-old holds a 2-3 record in the series with an .856 save percentage and a 3.70 goals-against average. Despite these worrying statistics, Tortorella was visibly frustrated with the pointed question.

On the other hand, Adin Hill had an 11-4 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and .932 save percentage across the 2023 playoffs, helping the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup triumph.

However, he hasn't played in over two months.

As for the series, Tortorella expressed confidence in his team to win at home and force a Game 7.

“We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order,” he stated, via Sportsnet. "I'm going to leave my clothes here. That's for sure. They'll be in the hotel."

However, the 67-year-old offered a more grim response regarding Karlsson's availability for the series.

"He's not going to be with us, probably," Tortorella said. "We've got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team.”

The injury marks another chapter in Karlsson's disappointing campaign.

William Karlsson: Role, Injury History, and What His Absence Means

The Swedish forward left Game 5 midway due to an upper-body injury and did not return for the third period.  He had hurt his left arm or shoulder after being knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker.

Karlsson immediately received medical aid on the bench, briefly before skating off. ESPN subsequently reported that he left the arena for further examination.

The Swede had previously missed 68 games of the regular season, as well as the first six playoff games, due to a lower-body injury before returning for the second round. 

Despite this hurdle, he amassed nine points in 14 games, ranking fifth on the team, with Tortorella citing him as an important piece in penalty killing and power plays.

With a Game 6 at home marking a crucial point in the series, losing Karlsson is a huge setback.

Can the Golden Knights level the series at home? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul