Tomas Hertl scored the game-winner in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final for his Vegas Golden Knights. After the game, head coach John Tortorella addressed Hertl and his previous scoring drought.
“We needed more from him,” Tortorella said.
The Vegas Golden Knights were down 2-0 in the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes. But they managed to come back, win 5-4, and take a 1-0 lead in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
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Tomas Hertl game winner
Tomas Hertl is a key player for the Vegas Golden Knights, but he recently went through a 29-game goal drought. He finally scored in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks. Since then, Hertl has scored two game-winning goals and four goals in total. On Tuesday, he scored the 5-4 goal to give Vegas an edge in the Stanley Cup Final.
John Tortorella’s honest words
After the game, Vegas head coach John Tortorella shared his honest thoughts on Hertl and his goal drought.
“We gave him some time. It took a little time. The time was getting short, though. And I do think Tomas, once he scored a goal, his game changed. He was working on other parts of his game. But we just needed more from him. And he’s come through at a very important time. And he’s given us some consistent minutes. I haven’t coached him for long, and a lot of those games weren’t that good. He never stopped working. There were some major struggles in his game, but he never stopped working at it. It’s just great timing. He’s given us some very important minutes,” Tortorella told reporters.
The game-winner himself also spoke to reporters afterward.
“Obviously, when you score a game-winner, it’s a pretty nice touch, but I’m just proud of our team effort and every single guy. It’s not always about the goals; it’s about the details. Massive blocked shots, all the little stick saves — at this time of year, it all matters. After a rusty start, I think we did a lot of good things,” Hertl said.
Game 2 will be played on Thursday in Raleigh.
You can watch John Tortorella’s press conference below.
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