Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Final Gameday Preview: Game 6 vs. Hurricanes – The Hockey Writers – Vegas Golden Knights

Welcome to another Preview of the final day of the Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup game! Well, for the first time in this postseason, the Golden Knights are facing elimination. They play their last home game of the 2025-26 season, but hope to give their loyal fans one more game to watch, even if only on TV. The Golden Knights host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup will be in the building, but can the Golden Knights fly Game 7 back?

Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final Game Day Preview: Game 6 vs. Hurricanes (Hurricanes Lead 3-2)

The Golden Knights lost Game 5, 4-2. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first two goals of the Vegas series, but Andrei Svechnikov scored his second goal, both on the power play. Carter Hart gave up four goals as well, being replaced by Brandon Bussi, who made 23 saves for Carolina.

• Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
• Brett Howden – Brandon Saad – Mitch Marner
• Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons – Pavel Dorofeyev
• Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
• Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
• Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
• Jeremy Lauzon – Dylan Coghlan
• Carter Hart/Adin Hill

William Karlsson will miss Game 6 and possibly the rest of the series. Karlsson left Game 5 in the second half after hitting Sean Walker. Karlsson slammed his left arm into the glass. Head coach John Tortorella didn’t offer much of an update, except that Karlsson would not play in Game 6. We think Saad will be on the roster in Karlsson’s place, but check back with the link above for the official roster as we get closer to the game.

Karlsson’s latest injury. He only played in 14 games during the regular season. He did not return to the lineup until Game 1 of Round 2. Brayden McNabb noted Karlsson’s determination and acknowledged how much better the team is when he is on the roster:

“It’s tough, he did a great job coming back. He’s a great player, a great leader in the room. He’s a Day 1 guy. He’s been around a long time, he’s a 200-foot player. You definitely miss him when he’s gone. So hopefully he can play, but if not, we’ll be good.”

Team Leaders

Mitch Marner leads the Golden Knights in points (29) and plus/minus ratio (plus 14). Brett Howden leads the Golden Knights with 14 goals. Jack Eichel leads the way with 20 assists. Finally, Cole Smith leads with 24 minutes of penalty.

Hart remains the only goaltender to see action in the Vegas postseason. In 21 games, he recorded 14 wins, while posting a 2.59 goals against average (GAA), and a .909 save percentage (SV%).

Storyline #1- History of Abolition

History is not on the side of the Golden Knights when they face elimination. In their last eight seasons, the Golden Knights have gone 3-6 against the Giants. In addition, only one of the three wins was a shutout that wasn’t a Game 7. If the Golden Knights need to extend the streak, they have historically struggled.

The good news? Their only non-Game 7 win is at home in Game 6 in 2024. This is the situation facing the team on Sunday night. Might as well focus on the good, right?

Storyline #2- Shuffle List

Stopping to finish is hard enough, but without Karlsson, it will be even harder. For the Golden Knights, someone needs to step up in his absence. Regardless of who is going to replace him on the roster or someone else on the roster, someone needs to step up in a big way.

Tortorella will need someone to play center on the second line. Howden can move to that position, and Dorofeyev can move from the third line. Putting Dorofeyev and Marner, two of the best offensive players in the league in the postseason, would be a good idea if the team’s backs are against the wall.

Storyline #3- The Hill to Die On

Tortorella was asked after Game 5 if he had considered inserting Adin Hill into the game to replace Hart. The coach of this team answered this question:

Hart played well for the Golden Knights in the playoffs, but struggled in the finals, allowing at least four goals per game. The Golden Knights have scored at least three goals in all but one game. The offense has done enough to win games, but Hart’s struggles are evident.

Hill’s final progression is small. He played in all five Finals games in 2023, posting a 1.96 GAA and a .939 SV%. He also recorded a shutout, helping the team to a victory over the Florida Panthers.

Yes, it’s a small sample, but Hill did very well against a strong Panthers offense. Facing a dangerous Hurricanes offense, it might not be a bad idea to turn to Hill with their season on the line.

There is no easy answer to this question. Whoever Tortorella turns to in Game 6, if it doesn’t work, will be questioned.

How to watch

Game 6 starts at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. It can be viewed on ABC.

Check again with Hockey Writers to find out more about the Cup. Do we go back to Carolina for Game 7, or is a new champion crowned in Vegas?