Look at this picture for a second. This is from Friday's 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. What do you see?
Personally, Carter Hart is trying to stop the puck against the Ducks. This was a common theme for the goaltender on Friday, for he was fighting for the puck at every juncture. You might also notice that the netminder didn't have much help on the defensive front, which left him compromised. The result? A Ducks win that sent the Vegas Golden Knights back to reality.
On the surface, people will immediately blame Hart based on the statistics. Stopping 16 of 20 shots would have fans screaming at the netminder like he was Adin Hill. However, there's more to the story than Hart only making 16 saves.
In fact, the Golden Knights goaltender can't be blamed for Friday's loss. He didn't get as much support as one would've wanted in net, especially if you're trying to take away space. One particular goal stands out, as the Golden Knights had a systemic breakdown on Friday. Why shouldn't you blame Carter Hart for Friday's loss?
Why Friday's performance isn't entirely Carter Hart's fault
Let's look at the near buzzer-beater that happened in the first period. Beckett Sennecke storms down the ice and buries a shot past Carter Hart's glove side. Some people will say that Hart should've stopped the shot. But there are greater circumstances at hand that left him compromised.
When you don't close your gaps and take away space, you let your opponents get the jump on you. The end result includes odd-man rushes and breakaways, which put your goaltender in a compromised position.
That's no different here when you have Beckett Sennecke on a breakaway. Suddenly, you must make a quick decision on an incoming shot that will likely end up a goal. All of this is prevented if you don't allow the man to get open in the first place. The odd-man rushes were a common occurrence throughout Friday's game, leaving Hart on his toes.
This isn't the first time that Carter Hart has been let down
Look back to the Stanley Cup Final, when Carter Hart was drilled for goals left and right. What happened in these games? You can say that the goaltender was responsible for these goals. But when Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin consistently give up defensive zone turnovers, there's a bigger problem at hand.
The problem with Vegas doesn't lie with Hart. It lies more in irresponsible puck play and not managing the little things. Think of closing your gaps and not letting a man free down the ice. Those plays shouldn't happen under any circumstances.
Golden Knights fans were reminded of a cruel turn of events from last season: The snowball effect. Of course, this was with a slower, injury-riddled Adin Hill. But the circumstances are slightly different this time around. If Vegas wants to truly become a Stanley Cup contender, that means taking away high-danger chances and not letting breakaways become a common occurrence.
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