Avalanche Rival Takes a Hit After Another Rough Night

Carter Hart has been a thorn in the Colorado Avalanche’s side before, helping the Vegas Golden Knights sweep Colorado in the Western Conference Final. But his latest outing was one he would probably like to forget, and it could open the door for Adin Hill to get another start.

Hart gave up three goals in just over five minutes during Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Matt Boldy, Maxim Shabanov and Danila Yurov all scored in the first period, putting Vegas in an early hole.

Hart settled down after that, stopping the rest of the shots he faced. Vegas also made a push late in the game, with goals from Rasmus Andersson and William Karlsson cutting Minnesota’s lead to 3-2. However, Joel Eriksson Ek’s empty-net goal ended any hopes of a comeback.

Hart finished with 24 saves on 27 shots, dropping to 3-2-0 in five starts this season. It was his second loss of the campaign and the second time in five appearances he has allowed more than two goals.

Adin Hill could get the chance to take over Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. According to reports, Hill is the likely starter as Vegas plays the second game of a back-to-back. Hart could return Thursday against the Calgary Flames.

For the Golden Knights, the priority is getting more consistent play in net. Both goaltenders have shown they can bounce back from rough starts, but Vegas cannot afford to keep digging itself into early holes.

And for Avalanche fans, Hart’s recent struggles are probably exciting to some degree, albeit it would be nice if that were to occur while both teams were facing off against one another.

The Golden Knights have eliminated the Avalanche in each of their last two playoff meetings, including a six-game series in 2021, when Colorado entered the postseason as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. If these rivals meet again in the playoffs, hopefully the Avalanche can turn the tables this time around.