Stanley Cup Final: Game 3 Was Off The Wall
LAS VEGAS – Mitch Marner, this is your moment.
Pilloried for years as a playoff non-entity in Toronto, Marner has found Conn Smythe form with the Vegas Golden Knights and led his new squad to a 2-1 series lead with a masterful second period in what ended as a 5-4 Vegas victory in double overtime.
Marner tallied a natural hat trick in the span of six minutes and 10 seconds, breaking the Stanley Cup final record for fastest three goals, previously held by Rocket Richard in 1957.
But while the game appeared over after that explosive second period, the Carolina Hurricanes put a scare in the Golden Knights with a remarkable comeback in the third.
In the end, it was a weird one from Shea Theodore that bounced off the backboards and off goalie Brandon Bussi that won it for Vegas.
Stanley Cup Final: Hurricanes Fans Embrace 'Tarps Off' Trend As They Visit Golden Knights For Game 3
It was a shirtless frenzy that sparked a Game 2 comeback for the Carolina Hurricanes. Rolling into Game 3 in Vegas against the Golden Knights, Canes fans have seemingly embraced the 'tarps off' trend.
Jordan Martinook got the Canes on the board after sliding a puck under Carter Hart from in close.
Seconds later, Taylor Hall made it 4-2 after McNabb bobbled the puck, leading to an Aho steal and setup for Carolina.
Seconds after that, Jordan Staal tipped a Jaccob Slavin point shot past Hart, and suddenly the Vegas lead was only 4-3.
Carolina had scored three goals in 39 seconds – another Stanley Cup final record.
Things calmed down from there until Shea Theodore took a late puck-over-the-glass penalty for Vegas. Carolina eventually pulled Bussi to go 6-on-4, and almost immediately after, Andrei Svechnikov managed to push the puck into the net as Seth Jarvis was launched into the net by Nic Dowd.
The Hurricanes became the second team in Stanley Cup final history to erase a four-goal deficit. The last time happened in 1972.
The first overtime period solved nothing, and both teams looked gassed, but Theodore broke the deadlock in double-OT, sending the crowd into hysterics.
Game 3 was bonkers. There will be two days to recover before Game 4 goes down on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
More to come, including post-game reaction.
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 11:31 PM.