Coach John Tortorella confirmed connected Saturday what was already expected, that halfway William Karlsson volition not play for the Vegas Golden Knights successful the do-or-die Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final connected Sunday.
“No,” Tortorella said erstwhile asked if Karlsson was available.
Karlsson near successful the 2nd play of Game 5 aft being checked into the boards by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker.
Karlsson had his near arm looked astatine by the grooming unit connected the seat earlier skating to the locker room. ESPN reported helium was taken to a section aesculapian installation soon after.
The Knights went connected to suffer 4-2 and volition request to triumph Sunday successful bid to propulsion the bid to Game 7 backmost successful Raleigh, North Carolina, connected Wednesday.
Tortorella did not officially regularisation retired Karlsson for a winner-take-all situation, but it’s a beardown likelihood that helium volition not beryllium available.
It’s a immense stroke to the Knights wherever the timing couldn’t beryllium worse.
Karlsson sat retired 68 games during the regular season, the astir clip he’s ever missed successful his NHL career, with a lower-body wounded helium suffered successful October.
The Original Misfit returned astatine the commencement of the 2nd circular against Anaheim to stabilize the Knights’ halfway extent and determination Mitch Marner — the league’s starring scorer during the playoffs — backmost to close wing.
Karlsson instantly made an interaction with 9 points successful 15 games. His plus-10 is tied with linemate Brett Howden for champion plus-minus among forwards successful that time.
Marner, Karlsson’s different linemate, has 22 of his 29 points since skating with Karlsson.
“It’s evidently a large miss,” Marner said. “He’s done a batch of large things for america since he’s been backmost successful the lineup. We’ve done this each year. We’ve had a batch of injuries passim the year, passim the playoffs.
“Obviously, it sucks losing Will, but it’s next-man-up mentality. We conscionable got to beryllium acceptable to go. It’s going to beryllium a pugnacious spread to fill, but astatine the aforesaid time, we conscionable got to bash a amended occupation of helping connected the crystal and doing a amended occupation defensive-wise.”
The Knights got done the archetypal circular against the Utah Mammoth without Karlsson. Their acquisition yet overcame his loss, acknowledgment successful portion to the play of Marner and Howden.
A guardant volition request to spell into the lineup, and a antithetic halfway volition person to anchor the 2nd line. One of Brandon Saad oregon Reilly Smith volition gully backmost in.
Marner played halfway successful Karlsson’s lack during the regular season, and helium was the superior halfway during the Utah series.
It’s imaginable Tortorella could load up the apical enactment with Marner, halfway Jack Eichel and skipper Mark Stone. Pavel Dorofeyev could besides spell backmost up with Eichel.
Tortorella would not disclose what Sunday’s lineup volition look like.
The Knights are entering an elimination script without 1 of their astir important players. Marner said the squad wants to play for Karlsson.
“You consciousness for him successful a batch of ways,” Marner said. “That’s a feline that competes his ass off. He’s a feline that’s done a batch of astonishing things for america portion he’s been successful the lineup. You consciousness for him due to the fact that he’s a rival and wants to beryllium successful these types of games.
“That’s a large crushed wherefore we privation to spell retired and bash our happening tomorrow. You conscionable got to instrumentality it displacement by shift. Don’t look ahead, don’t look excessively acold into precocious things. Just beryllium successful the moment, beryllium acceptable to spell and beryllium acceptable for a challenge.”
Contact Danny Webster astatine dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 connected X.
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