Game 5 was an absolute debacle for the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. They got doubled up by the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2, putting themselves one game away from getting second place in the 2025-26 NHL season. However, that wasn't the only issue for the Golden Knights.
They also lost William Karlsson to an upper-body injury and he didn't return for the remainder of the game. What's more, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella provided a less-than-inspiring update. What did he say during the postgame press conference?
Let me amend my original post on William Karlsson….
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 12, 2026
Tortorella did indicate it was unlikely he will play again in the final
Well, that's not good news. Believe it or not, the Original Misfit provides plenty of solid defensive play for the Golden Knights. He's great as a two-way player, providing scoring depth and defensive intelligence. Not only that, but he's terrific on the penalty kill, which is sorely needed against a red-hot Hurricanes power play.
All that can be said with this is that the Golden Knights better dig deep. It must be a "next man up" mentality heading into Sunday, when the Golden Knights face an elimination game. Yes, the veteran group knows this and has been in this situation numerous times. However, it's tougher to overcome against a structurally sound Hurricanes team.
The Golden Knights have dealt with all sorts of adversity throughout the season. That has included relieving Bruce Cassidy of his duties and losing players like Karlsson and Mark Stone for some time. However, this is a different set of circumstances.
Vegas is playing for their lives here. If they get off to a terrible start or fall apart in Game 6, it's curtains for this team. Of course, not having Karlsson hurts in this situation. But not stepping up in his absence would be even more painful.
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