The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their second straight win on Thursday, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. It has been far from a great season in the desert, with a 1-5-3 stretch not far in the rearview. Now, they have a goalie injury to monitor. Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart was helped off the ice Thursday with an apparent leg injury.
Carter Hart has left the game injured and needed help getting off the ice after falling on his leg awkwardly 🤕 pic.twitter.com/FzjC0Qyxs0
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 9, 2026
The Blue Jackets scored on their first shot of the game, 8:24 into the first period. Boone Jenner scored on the play, which ended with Hart in a heap on the ice. On the scoresheet, Hart did not make a save on the evening. But he was hurt keeping the puck out of the net just before Jenner's goal.
SinBin.Vegas asked Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy about Hart's status after the game. “No real update on Hart from Cassidy. Says they'll know more Saturday morning,” the blog reported.
The Golden Knights made waves this season when they signed Hart. The former Philadelphia Flyers goalie was on trial for sexual assault, a charge that dated back to 2018. Hart and the other four defendants were found not guilty over the summer. The goalie is the only one of the five to play in the NHL this season.
The Golden Knights have not gotten great goaltending from anyone in their crowded room this year. Akira Schmid came into Thursday's game and closed out the win, bumping his save percentage to .894. Adin Hill is still injured, meaning Carl Lindbom will likely be back up. The 22-year-old has an .870 save percentage with a 3.14 goals-against average this year.
Despite all of those issues, the Golden Knights are in first place in the Pacific Division with 50 points in 42 games. They have a great lineup, but goaltending has been an issue for many years. Can they work around Hart's injury to put together a great regular season?
