Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart is out week to week with a lower-body injury

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart is week to week with a lower-body injury, coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday, after the team's morning skate and before its home game against St. Louis.

Hart was injured in the first period of Thursday night's 5-3 victory over Columbus.

Akira Schmid (12-4-5) will start against the Blues. He has a 2.51 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.

The club called up Carl Lindbom from its American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson, Nevada. Lindbom has seven starts for the Golden Knights this season and went 1-4-2 with a 3.14 GAA and .870 save percentage.

“Akira has done a really good job for us,” Cassidy said. "We liked what he did last year, so we were hoping that would translate into what he did this year and have some success, and it has.

“With Carl, there was unknown with his first call-up and got thrown in a tough spot. He got a taste of NHL shooters, the difference probably between the NHL and the American League. He got a win and went back to Henderson and probably felt good about the win and has played well there.”

Lindbom is 6-3-3 with a 2:08 GAA and .926 save percentage in Henderson.

Vegas now is without its top two goalies, though Adin Hill has been practicing. Hill (1-0-2, 2.73 GAA, .888 save percentage) played only five games this season before going out with a lower-body injury. Cassidy said he should have a better idea Tuesday about whether Hill — who led the Golden Knights on a run to the Stanley Cup title three years ago — is ready to return.

The Golden Knights focused their sights on Hart after Hill's injury. Hart was 5-3-3 with a 3.28 GAA and .871 save percentage before the injury.

Vegas signed Hart in October and he made his first appearance on Dec. 2 in a 4-3 victory over Chicago. It was his first NHL game in nearly two years.

Hart was one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault in July. He was the first of those five to agree to an NHL contract. The league ruled those players were eligible to sign deals beginning Oct. 15 and to play starting Dec. 1. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract.

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