The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in double overtime Saturday night to claim Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore scored the game-winning goal at 5:38 of the second overtime after his shot deflected off Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi’s skate. The victory gives Vegas a 2-1 series lead, a position that historically results in a championship 80.7% of the time.
Vegas survived a complete collapse in the third period after blowing a 4-0 advantage. The Hurricanes erased the deficit with a furious late push, capped when Andrei Svechnikov jammed in the tying goal on a 6-on-4 power play with 1:42 left in regulation. Carolina attempted to become the first team in NHL history to win a playoff game after trailing by at least four goals in the third period, according to AP News, but the overtime loss drops teams in that exact scenario to an 0-109 historical record.
Before the late chaos, Vegas forward Mitch Marner recorded the fastest natural hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history. Marner scored three goals during a 6:10 stretch in the second period. He finished the frame with four points, becoming the first player to achieve a four-point Cup Final period since Frank Foyston did it for the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919.
Carolina mounted its historic rally by scoring three goals in just 39 seconds. Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Staal provided the offense during that burst, setting a record for the fastest three goals scored by one team in Cup Final history. The barrage forced overtime before Theodore’s final shot ended the marathon.