The Western Conference Final is something worth paying attention to for Philadelphia Flyers fans, and it isn’t because they have draft positioning on the line from owning another team’s draft pick.
Instead, it’s that two high-profile former Flyers are succeeding with the Vegas Golden Knights under the brightest of spotlights.
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Head coach John Tortorella, who was fired by the Flyers just 14 months ago, jumped from the ESPN studio to Sin City to replace Bruce Cassidy, who was cast aside by the Golden Knights.
A 7-0-0 run under Tortorella earned Vegas a playoff spot, and after knocking down the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks, the Golden Knights are within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final.
A Western Conference Final matchup with the vaunted, high-octane Colorado Avalanche was thought to be a nightmare, but Tortorella and the Golden Knights have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead against a Cale Makar-less Avalanche team.
Even without Makar, the Avalanche, led by Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, still pose a massive threat offensively.
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Despite that, former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, who was let go by the Flyers when the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case was gearing up in 2024, has been up to the task.
After being found not guilty of sexual assault stemming from that case, and after serving a suspension imposed by the NHL, Hart had a mostly unimpressive return to the ice for Vegas, finishing the regular season with a .891 save percentage despite a strong 11-3-3 record overall.
The playoffs, though? For the ex-Flyers netminder, that’s been a different story altogether.
Hart, 27, has won each of his last four playoff starts, stopping 130 of 136 shots, posting a .956 save percentage, and a stellar 1.47 GAA.
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Hart was 9-5-0 in the playoffs for the Flyers back in the 2019-20 bubble playoffs, dropping two shutouts to the tune of a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage.
With his recent surge, Hart is 10-4-0 for the Golden Knights with a 2.25 GAA and .924 save percentage overall.
Now, Tortorella and Hart are within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
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