RALEIGH, N.C. — Tearing a page out of Mark Messier’s playbook, John Tortorella made a bold proclamation after a Game 5 loss Thursday put his team on the brink of Stanley Cup elimination.

“We'll be back here,” said the Golden Knights coach, essentially guaranteeing his team will win Game 6 Sunday in Vegas (Sportsnet, Sportsnet at 8 p.m. ET).

“We're just going to do it in a different order.

“I'm gonna leave my clothes here, that's for sure. They'll be in the hotel.”

The bravado was admirable.

Because after watching his team cough up a pivotal 4-2 setback in Raleigh, Tortorella had little choice but to project confidence.

The problem for Vegas is that confidence alone won’t solve the issues that have transformed a series they once appeared in control of, into one that now has them staring at the possibility the Carolina Hurricanes will hoist the Cup in The Fortress.

Prior to the pivotal matchup at Lenovo Center, the Golden Knights addressed in meetings, and discussed publicly, the importance of ensuring Jordan Staal — he with the hottest hand in hockey — does not go uncontested in the slot.

Sure enough, early in a game the Golden Knights led, there was Staal in his office, kickstarting the onslaught.

The play started with Staal finishing off a check on Brayden McNabb in the corner before darting into the........

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