June 6 (UPI) — Paralyzing tension stuffed T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, as the Vegas Golden Knights weathered a chaotic comeback and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in double overtime in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The typically stingy Hurricanes held the Golden Knights to just two shots in a scoreless first period at T-Mobile Arena. Forward Mitch Marner then scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history in the second, steering the home team in firm control. But the visitors surged for four fourth-period scores to force overtime.
A lucky bounce for the Golden Knights ended Game 3, as a Shea Theodore shot ricocheted off a wall and net minder Brandon Bussi‘s pad and landed in the goal for the game-winner in the second bonus period.
“We just let our foot off the gas,” Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. “I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I like the resiliency of the group.”
With the win, the Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series. They will host Game 4 on Tuesday at home.
The Golden Knights outhit the Hurricanes 66-42. They held a 35-33 lead in shots and 30-14 advantage in blocks.
Marner registered an assist, in addition to his three goals in a record 6-minute, 12-second span. Fellow forward Tomas Hertle and Theodore logged a goal and assist apiece.
The Hurricanes trailed 4-0 when forward Jordan Martinook scored their first goal with 12:57 remaining. That score sparked the fastest string of three goals by one team in Stanley Cup Final history, with the Hurricanes finding the net two more times over a 39-second period.
Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal added the next two Hurricanes goals, cutting the deficit to one. Fellow forward Andrei Svechnikov scored the Hurricanes’ final goal with 1:42 remaining in regulation.
“That can’t happen again,” Theodore said. “Just the bounces. Defensively we have to be sharper. … I was fortunate to get a bounce there in overtime.”
The Golden Knights had two goals disallowed early in the second period. Hertl broke the deadlock 10:26 into the frame, teeing up Marner’s melee on the Hurricanes net.
Marner beat goalie Frederik Anderson for his first goal just 16 seconds later for a 2-0 Golden Knights lead. He found the net again with 5:28 remaining in the period for the Golden Knights’ third goal.
Marner completed his hat trick with slap shot less than two minutes later.
The Hurricanes pulled Anderson in exchange for Bussi to start the third period. Martinook started their rabid rally by beating Carter Hart for the first time of Game 3. Hall followed with the Hurricanes’ second goal 26 seconds later. Jordan Staal beat Hart for a third Hurricanes score with 12:18 remaining.
Svechnikov tied the score with a fourth consecutive score with 102 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team scored in the resulting overtime period, triggering the second bonus period.
Defenseman Brayden McNabb slid the puck across the blue line for a Theodore one-timer attempt on the game’s final sequence. The blast sailed wide of the net, but drilled the back boards, found the bottom of Bussi’s left pad and flipped into the net, ending the thriller.
The Golden Knights will host the Hurricanes in Game 4 at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Las Vegas. Game 5 will be Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
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