Jack Eichel Faces Game 6 Test as Golden Knights Trail 3-2

jack eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights go into Game 6 trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2, with William Karlsson likely out after leaving Game 5 in the second period holding his left arm and wrist. They need two straight wins to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive, and the lineup picture is still shifting.

Eichel, Dorofeyev, and Center Options

The top line changed in Game 5 when Pavel Dorofeyev was reunited with Eichel, and it paid off immediately. Dorofeyev scored twice after a seven-game scoring drought, giving Vegas a rare offensive lift in a 4-2 loss.

Mitch Marner remained an option at center for Game 6, a role he handled for a chunk of time during the regular season while Karlsson was out with a lower-body injury. John Tortorella said the team had to make adjustments, but he did not lock in a specific lineup move before Sunday night.

Special Teams Hurt Vegas

Special teams has been the clearest problem in the series. Vegas allowed two power-play goals in Game 5 and scored one of its own, a gap that left little margin in a 4-2 defeat.

Tortorella said, "One of the areas we've lost a bit is special teams" and added, "it's something we need to look at." That leaves the Golden Knights trying to fix both the matchup at center and the structure around the man advantage in the same game that can keep their season going.

Carter Hart and Adin Hill

The goalie situation adds another layer. Carter Hart became the first goalie in NHL history to allow at least four goals in each of the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final, and Tortorella said of a possible switch, "that could be the stupidest" when asked about changing goalies for Game 6.

Adin Hill was not expected to replace Hart in goal for Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET start in Vegas. With Karlsson probably out and the series on the line, the Golden Knights have to solve one end of the ice without creating a new problem at the other.