Carter Hart will start Game 1 against the Utah Mammoth, giving the Golden Knights the hotter goalie after a month in which he has already made six starts and is set for a seventh on Sunday. John Tortorella has leaned harder on Hart during his Golden Knights tenure, and there were no other changes to the lineup.
Hart has backed that choice with a 1.66 goals-against average and a.930 save percentage, numbers that make the decision hard to argue after his run in April. The Utah Mammoth averaged 3.27 goals per game in the regular season, which is part of why the matchup puts a premium on clean play in net from the start.
Adin Hill has not given Tortorella the same reason to stay put. Hill finished the season with a 3.04 goals-against average, an.871 save percentage and a minus-14.2 Goals Saved Above Expected, a line that helps explain why Hart has taken over more of the work as the playoffs begin.
The lineup decision does not close the door on Hill, but it does sharpen the question of where he fits now that Hart is carrying the crease. For Game 1, at least, the answer is clear: the Golden Knights are riding the goaltender who has earned the net.