"Bad move" "Thompson was carrying them" - NHL fans react as VGK makes bold decision to start Adin Hill in net for Game 5 against Stars

By Ankit Kumar

Modified May 01, 2024 17:36 GMT

The NHL world was abuzz with reactions as Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Adin Hill as the starting goaltender for Game 5 against the Dallas Stars. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Twitter, prompting fans to react.

"Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy says Adin Hill starts Game 5 for the Golden Knights" Friedman tweeted

Friedman also shared a video of Cassidy explaining the goalie move:

One fan expressed concern, labeling the decision as:

"Bad move."

"Thompson was carrying those guys" another fan said, highlighting the absence of a key player,

With the stakes high in Game 5, fans are eagerly anticipating how Adin Hill will fare and whether the bold coaching decision will pay off for the Golden Knights.

Here are some more reactions from X:

"Thompson doesn’t know how to protect short side shots. It was very clear Dallas was pulling Thompson out of position all game and going short side." a fan pointed out the situation with Thompson,

"Harsh. Thompson has been great - hardly his fault" a fan said, in Thompson's defence

"Stars in 6, cheaters going out in the first round and I’m going to enjoy every second of it" one fan said,

"Dallas winning" a fan plainly said,

Golden Knights' 4-2 loss that led to the decision to start Adin Hill

The Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 4 to level the series at 2-2. Roope Hintz scored the winning goal after falling to the ice seconds before due to a hit.

Goalie Jake Oettinger pinpointed how they had a championship mentality:

“That's how you win championships.”

After suffering back-to-back losses, the Stars demonstrated their toughness by defeating the Golden Knights at home twice. Wyatt Johnston's consistent goal-scoring ability, which began with overtime wins in Game 3, was incredible.

Aside from the goals by Dadonov and Dellandrea, Oettinger made some incredible saves to help the Stars win.

Golden Knights' goals by Michael Amadio and Jack Eichel were halted by the Stars' offensive onslaught, particularly in the second period when they outshot and went up 3-2. Coach Bruce Cassidy praised the Star's relentless pressure.

"I thought in the second period we really took control of the game," DeBoer said. “The play in the third period was just lock it down."

Coach Pete DeBoer credited Dellandrea for his playoff performance.

“He's a playoff-type player. He doesn't shrink in the room.”

Captain Jamie Benn referred to the team's stability:

“There’s no panic in our game. You knew they were going to come out hard. They’re a good team. We weathered the storm and found a way to win.”

Now, with Adin Hill guarding the net in the next game, it will be interesting to see how they handle the change.