Injuries deepen ahead of crucial Game 4 between Vegas and Carolina

Noah Hanifin and Brayden McNabb were both absent from Vegas Golden Knights practice, raising serious questions about their availability for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas leads the series 2-1, but anyone who watched Game 3 knows how fragile that advantage really feels.

The Golden Knights blew a 4-0 lead in the third period before surviving 5-4 in double overtime on a fortunate bounce off Brandon Bussi's skate.

That collapse happened with a full blue line. Remove Hanifin and McNabb, and the defensive structure that kept Carolina quiet for 40 minutes simply vanishes.

Hanifin has played all 19 playoff games this spring, contributing seven assists and steady minutes in every situation.

McNabb has been even more quietly dominant, posting a plus-13 rating across 18 games with six assists in his last five alone.

Without them, John Tortorella would likely turn to Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton. That is not the defensive depth you want exposed against a Carolina Hurricanes team that just proved it can erase any deficit in a single period.

Frederik Andersen was also absent from Hurricanes practice on Monday, adding another layer of uncertainty ahead of Game 4.

Rod Brind'Amour said he has made his goaltending decision but refused to reveal it.

Andersen carries a .910 save percentage across 16 playoff starts this spring, though he was pulled during Game 3's third-period meltdown in favor of Bussi.

If Bussi gets the start, Carolina at least has recent evidence he can handle the moment.

Vegas has no such safety net on the blue line. The team that barely survived Saturday's collapse now faces a desperate opponent, and it might have to do it shorthanded where it matters most.

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