A key scorer won't suit up for the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6.
William Karlsson will not take the ice as his squad attempts to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT), head coach John Tortorella told reporters on Saturday.
The Hurricanes lead the series 3-2.
Meanwhile, goalie Carter Hart will start for Vegas despite missing skate and allowing at least four goals in each of the first five games of the series.
Karlsson appeared to injure his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenceman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period of Thursday's Game 5.
He got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off and never returned.
“When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," Tortorella said post-game. “We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way.”
Mitch Marner primarily played center when Karlsson was out. When he returned, Marner was mostly Karlsson's linemate at right wing.
“We'll see how it goes, but I think center-wise, you've just got to be a little more patient with being in the right spot, helping out on the walls, especially in this series,” Marner said. “We know we're playing a team that really likes to pinch down on you and try to make it hard to get pucks out or make that play.”
