Changing the starting goalie can be messy for an NHL team. It’s the most important position on the ice, and a goalie’s success can depend more on mental state than physical ability.Hockey history is full of mishandled goaltending decisions, many of which ended the seasons of otherwise talented teams. These situations can be fragile, and they require deft handling and proper messaging, and for goalies to buy into their roles.The 2025-26 Vegas Golden Knights are an example of how it can go well, and there’s plenty of credit to go around — from head coach John Tortorella to goaltending coach Sean Burke, to the goalies themselves. A bold, late-season choice was made to go with Carter Hart over Adin Hill, and now, goaltending is arguably the biggest reason the Golden Knights are set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final, which begins Tuesday in Raleigh.Hart’s .924 save percentage in the playoffs ranks second behind only Carolina’s Frederik Andersen, and is a stark contrast to the Golden Knights’ team save percentage of .884 during the regular season, which ranked 27th in the league. He has drastically outplayed the opposing goalie in all three series to this point, and the Golden Knights have turned one of their biggest weaknesses into an area of strength.Vegas entered the season seemingly set at the position, with Hill entering the first year of a six-year, $37.5 million contract extension. It took only one week for that plan to go off track. Hill suffered multiple injuries in October, the second of which kept him out until mid-January.Backup Akira Schmid played admirably in a larger role than he’d ever seen at the NHL level, but still put up below-average numbers. Vegas signed Hart to a two-year contract on Oct. 26, 2025, but he wasn’t eligible to play until Dec. 1, as stipulated by the NHL. Hart hadn’t played in an NHL game since January 2024, shortly before he and four other members of the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team were charged with sexual assault. Hart and four other players were found not guilty in a 2025 trial.Hart made his debut with Vegas on Dec. 2 and struggled statistically in his first several starts before also suffering an injury. It speaks volumes that four different Vegas netminders played well for stretches but that none succeeded statistically. The Golden Knights have long been known as a goalie-friendly team, and rightfully so, but their zone defense caused more havoc for their goalies this season than usual. Defenders were often caught in their own goalie’s sight lines, leading to more screened shots finding the net than in any season prior.Upon his return in mid-January, Hill didn’t look as explosive laterally as usual. He had good stretches, particularly just before the Olympic break, but overall looked hesitant and like he was chasing the play at times.