2. Does Playoff Experience Honestly Matter? Ask Logan Thompson
While the argument can be made that Brett Howden is more experienced in the playoffs than Dorofeyev, there's another peculiar case that says otherwise. Take Logan Thompson as a perfect example. The goaltender got his first playoff start on Monday and stopped 90% of his shots, winning the game for Vegas.
Granted, the Calgary native wasn't perfect, specifically with the third goal he allowed. However, he did enough for the Golden Knights to steal a road playoff game. That's all you can ask from a goaltender new to the playoff experience.
So what does this have to do with Pavel Dorofeyev? For one, playoff experience doesn't matter in certain aspects. If that were the case, Adin Hill would've started for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1. Sometimes, it's best to go with the hot hand. It made sense for Logan Thompson and it should make sense for Dorofeyev.