Carter Hart was a spectator as the Golden Knights went with Akira Schmid against the Flyers.
PHILADELPHIA — As homecomings go, Carter Hart’s was somewhat muted.
Thursday, the former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender returned to the scene of where he played for six NHL seasons before his career took a legal hiatus nearly two years ago. But his participation was limited to pregame warmups and a seat on the visitors’ bench wearing a baseball cap.
No welcome back acknowledgment. No video tribute from the Flyers. It was as persona non grata as it gets.
He wasn’t needed as once again the Vegas Golden Knights found themselves in an overtime game and they leaned on two of their best players — Mark Stone and Jack Eichel — to get them over the top as Eichel forced a turnover, found Stone alone in front and the captain beat Dan Vladar 2:47 into OT for a 3-2 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“I think we’re comfortable playing in close games,” said Stone, who scored a second-period power-play goal as well to give his team a 2-1 lead at the time. “We’ve played a lot of these this year so out’s nice that we’re winning more of them.”
As for Hart, by now, you know all the sordid details that resulted to his suspension. The 27-year-old goaltender is back in the NHL, has played three games with the Knights and he’ll likely make his next start in the relative obscurity of Columbus come Saturday.
Thursday was a different story. ESPN was there. So was a gaggle of Philly puck media wanting to take Hart’s temperature about his return, to ask him what he expected the reaction from the fans would be for him, about facing his former team and the usual assortment of queries a former player would be expected to receive upon his return.
From Hart, nothing but silence on this day. The team didn’t make him available after the morning skate. Coach Bruce Cassidy said it was a decision by the coaching staff to not play Hart Thursday, adding that Hart “wants to play every game.”
Well, he didn’t play this one. Akira Schmid did. And in all honesty, he probably needed to having last played six days ago in Newark where he shut out his former team, the Devils, 3-0 to start this five-game road swing through the Metropolitan Division.
The reality is the two points up for grabs Thursday was bigger than one person’s return to his former city. The Knights are still pursuing first-place Anaheim and when you look at the nine points they’ve squandered this year in losing in either overtime or a shootout, they’re in a desperate chase to make up those nine points. So that’s where Cassidy’s focus was — win the game.
“We’re a good team; It wasn’t going to continue that way,” Cassidy said of the team’s OT struggles earlier this year. “Today, we forced a turnover and we make a play. Eventually it was going to turn our way.”
His decision to go with Schmid paid off. He only faced 19 shots while allowing two to get by him. But he was strong, particularly when the Knights were on the penalty kill. Vegas took three offensive zone penalties Thursday but the Flyers were unable to cash in.
“He’s been playing well and he gives us a chance every night,” Cassidy said of Schmid, who picked up his 11th win of the season.
The Knights also received some offense from defenseman Zach Whitecloud, who scored his first of the year while showing some Eichel-like moves in beating Vladar in the first period, faking with his forehand, then going to his backhand for the goal.
“I thought it was Jack who scored,” Cassidy said. “Then I saw the bubble and I knew it was Whitey.”
Whitecloud has been wearing a full face shield after taking a puck to the face a couple of weeks ago. It obviously didn’t inhibit his vision when it came to handling the puck and finishing off a play.
“It’s exciting and fun,” Whitecloud said of his being able to contribute offensively. “It’s not my job to score goals, especially that way. But anytime you can get into the offensive zone and get in the rush and get involved, it’s something I’ve prided myself on since I’ve been in this organization, and that’s to be a two-way guy.”
The Knights, who have scored first in each of the four games on the five-game trip and have picked up seven of a possible eight points so far, will try and finish it off the right way Saturday against the Blue Jackets.
“I think we’ve done a good job of rolling four lines and six D and wearing teams down,” Stone said. “Our special teams have been really good. We scored on the power play, we had a big (penalty) kill late (Thursday).
“It’s been a good trip already but we have a chance to make it a great one. Nine out of 10 points would be a hell of a trip.”
Category: General Sports
