Carter Hart hit with another tough blow after Game 5

Carter Hart's difficult Stanley Cup Final just became even tougher.

The Vegas Golden Knights goaltender entered Game 5 already carrying an unfortunate piece of NHL history after becoming the first goalie ever to allow four or more goals in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final.

Now, the record has grown.

Following Carolina's 4-2 victory on Friday night, Hart became the first goaltender in NHL history to surrender four or more goals in each of the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final.

The numbers behind the performance are equally concerning.

Through five games, Hart has allowed 20 goals as Vegas has fallen behind 3-2 in the series. According to Natural Stat Trick, he finished Game 5 with 1.00 goals allowed above expected and posted a .500 save percentage on high-danger chances.

To be fair, Hart has hardly received perfect support in front of him. Defensive breakdowns and odd-man chances have played a role throughout the series. Still, championship-winning goaltenders are often required to steal momentum-changing saves when their team needs them most, and Vegas has struggled to get those moments during this Final.

The obvious question now is whether John Tortorella considers a change in goal heading into Sunday's elimination game.

The veteran head coach didn't seem interested in that discussion.

When asked after Game 5 about the possibility of turning to Adin Hill, Tortorella delivered a blunt response.

"That could be the stupidest question I've ever heard."

With their season now on the line, it appears the Golden Knights remain fully committed to Hart.

Whether that decision pays off will be one of the biggest storylines heading into Game 6.