NHL EDGE behind Golden Knights’ success under Tortorella 

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE  puck and player tracker stats. Today, we provide three underlying metrics behind the Vegas Golden Knights and their success under John Tortorella.

1. Hart and strong defense

Since being hired by the Vegas Golden Knights on March 29, John Tortorella has led the team to 16 wins in his first 21 games as coach (7-0-1 in regular season plus 9-4 this postseason). The two-time Jack Adams Award winner and past Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, Tortorella is known for the defensive structure, strong goaltending and shot-blocking abilities of his teams, which has helped the recent champion Golden Knights (won Stanley Cup in 2023) rediscover their elite form.

Goalie Carter Hart, who reunited with Tortorella after being together on the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022-23, has been the biggest beneficiary of Vegas’ late-season coaching change. Hart is 15-4 with a .923 save percentage in 19 games under Tortorella with Vegas. This postseason, Hart is leading the NHL in quality starts (nine; those with greater than .900 save percentage) and ranks second in high-danger save percentage (.874) among goalies whose teams advanced past the first round.

In Vegas’ Game 1 road win against the Avalanche, Hart stopped 12 of 14 high-danger shots faced, his most high-danger saves in a game during the 2026 playoffs and one short of the most by any goalie in a game this postseason (Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt had 13 high-danger saves against Colorado in Game 1 of the second round). So far this postseason, Vegas has an advantage in terms of team save percentage (.918 in 13 games) compared to Colorado (.897 in 10 games).

Hart has been especially effective at 5-on-5 over his past three games (.976 save percentage; all Vegas wins). The Golden Knights also have the second-best penalty kill percentage (85.4) among the four remaining teams (behind Carolina Hurricanes’ 95.0) in the playoffs under Tortorella after finishing tied for sixth (81.4) during the regular season. Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore leads the entire 2026 playoffs in blocked shots (42, including seven in Game 1 against Colorado), while forward Ivan Barbashev leads the postseason in hits (67).

NHL EDGE IQ insights: The Golden Knights also have the lowest “Projected Goal Rate” (PGR) against this postseason (4.79 percent), meaning they are allowing the lowest-quality scoring chances compared to other teams this postseason. Vegas also has the highest PGR for during the playoffs (6.53) and, as a result, has the best goal differential (plus-15) and has a 7-0 record when leading after two periods.

2. High-danger goals

Under Tortorella, the Golden Knights lead the NHL in high-danger goals this postseason (29) and rank third in high-danger shots on goal (105). Vegas forwards Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden each scored a high-danger goal in Game 1 against Colorado and are tied for the NHL lead in high-danger goals (six each).

Mitch Marner, who’s Vegas’ top Conn Smythe Trophy contender this postseason, ranks third in high-danger goals (five). Over Marner’s previous four postseasons combined with the Toronto Maple Leafs dating back to the start of the puck and player tracking era (since 2021-22), Marner only scored one high-danger goal, making him another success story under Tortorella. Marner is also tied for ninth in high-danger shots on goal this postseason (13).

In addition to Vegas’ penalty kill prowess, the team has also carried over its strong power play into the playoffs under Tortorella. The Golden Knights have the best power-play percentage among remaining teams (27.0) after ranking sixth during the regular season (24.6). Vegas, as a team, leads the playoffs in goals (48) and has three of the League leaders in goals: Dorofeyev (10; first), Howden (nine; second) and Marner (seven; tied for third).

Vegas also has scoring threats from perimeter shooting zones. Dorofeyev is tied for second in midrange goals this postseason (three), and Theodore is tied for eighth in midrange goals (two; second among defensemen behind Bowen Byram’s three). Theodore also leads the playoffs in long-range shots on goal (19) and leads remaining players in 80-plus mph shot attempts (21).

3. Goals off the rush

Per NHL EDGE IQ, Vegas leads the NHL in goals off the rush since Tortorella’s debut March 30 (20; regular season and playoffs combined), including three goals off the rush against the Avalanche in Game 1 (all three of their goals scored against Scott Wedgewood in series opener). This postseason, Vegas is also tied with Minnesota for the most goals off the rush (nine). Goals off the rush are those scored within five seconds of a team crossing the offensive blue line.

With Colorado’s No. 1 defenseman Cale Makar (undisclosed; did not play in Game 1) injured, Vegas’ skating speed was on full display. This postseason, top center Jack Eichel leads the NHL in assists (15) and also ranks fourth in the League in 20-plus mph speed bursts (55). Marner is tied for second in assists, including an NHL-leading nine primary assists; Marner leads the NHL in points this postseason (19 in 13 games), while Eichel ranks second (16 in 13 games).

Marner’s between-the-legs, highlight-reel goal in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks also came off the rush, helping the Golden Knights advance to the Western Conference Final. Vegas also has three of the 10 defensemen across the NHL who have scored goals off the rush this postseason: Theodore, Brayden McNabb and Dylan Coghlan.