Recap: The Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes matched up for crucial Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas. Both teams traded shots in the opening frame but neither had many quality chances. After 20 minutes the game was locked in a scoreless tie.
Vegas believed it had taken a 1-0 lead off a Mark Stone break, but the goal was called back for offside. Minutes later, the Golden Knights had another goal waived off for goaltender interference. The puck luck began to bounce for Vegas. First, Tomas Hertl capitalized on the power play after Carolina was caught with too many men on the ice. 14 seconds later Mitch Marner was credited with a goal that went off of a Hurricanes stick. Marner stretched Vegas’ lead to 3-0 several shifts later. He completed the natural hat trick with a third goal in the period. Marner’s three consecutive goals were the fastest hat trick in the Stanley Cup Final’s history.
Leading 4-0, the Golden Knights protected their advantage in the final frame. Marner was awarded a penalty shot but failed to score his fourth goal of Game 3. Carolina added four unanswered goals to make it an improbable 4-4 tie.
Overtime was tight and each team limited chances. Which led to a second OT of Game 3.
In second OT, Shea Theodore fired a puck wide off the back wall, it got deflected towards the goal and went into the net.
The Golden Knights take a 2-1 lead in the Final by defeating the Hurricanes 5-4 in double OT. Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 PM in Las Vegas. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: Similar to Games 1 and 2, the Hurricanes came out hot to start the 1st period and VGK looked like they were trying to hang on. But, the moment the 2nd period has begun in this series, the Golden Knights have absolutely dominated. They scored goal after goal after goal and even when challenges would take them off, it didn’t matter. Marner recorded the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history and became the first player with four points in Cup Final period since 1919. Unfortunaely, the 3rd period hasn’t been VGK’s friend, and they gave away one of the biggest leads in franchise history. However, this team does not know how to go away. They kept plugging and got an unbelievable bounce in double OT to win an absolute epic. (Recap by Ken)
Upcoming stories from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights vs Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena.
- An absolute epic
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Brayden McNabb
** Shea Theodore
* Mitch Marner
KnightWatch
Pretty simple: They’re Damn Lucky!
The Good: Marner, Marner, Marner
The Bad: everything in the 3rd period
GWG couresy of the Canes.
Crazy Game!
TS
How did this happen?
How did the guys NOT collapse after the Canes comeback attack??
How did Nabber manage to play with a broken face??
How did our guys survive so many games , coming back from the edge of mediocrity to find themselves on tbe cusp of CUP Greatness once again??
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN????? IT’S DESTINY!!!!!!!!!
Pistol Pete
This has been a crazy high scoring back and forth each game series. VGK up 4-0 entering period three who would have thought? VGK rallies from 2-0 game one, CAR rallies from 2-0 game two and CAR nearly rallies from 4-0 this game crazy.
If VGK wins the Cup Mitch Marner is a virtual lock for the Conn Smythe now. What a story that will be. This game he landed 10 shots too. What a player. Clutch.
Nice PP goal to break the Canes PK streak the sequence initiated by Marner.
Like Marner said in the second intermission McNabb is an animal coming back from that injury he even gets an assist on one of the Marner goals. McNabb has two assists this game five for the series series unbelievable what a warrior.
Marner landed 10 shots! What a player that guy is. Clutch.
C’mon Golden Knights let’s win Tuesday and send this series back ti Carolina and win the Cup on the road!
Pistol Pete
Sorry for the Marner landed 10 shots repeat I meant to edit that out.
Btw I don’t consider what happened in period three to be a choke per se. Canes are a team that can both come at you in waves with an O zone possession and capitalize on mistakes.
Earl the Replanted Transplant
Anyone have some blood pressure pills I can borrow?
What did people say about this being a boring series?
knights fan in minny
You are spot on Earl
knights fan in minny
How the hell do you explain that one I guess it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes Moneymitch was outstanding Nabber did a fine job too Can Game 4 top this one Stay tuned
rb7
Never a doubt.
but seriously, the greatest 2nd period in history, but they just can’t do it the easy way.
kudos to Marner and Nabber for a Herculean effort by both to inspire the team.
now let’s do it again on Tuesday, but this time less drama would be nice.
but hey, these are 2 real good teams, very well matched, and close games are to be expected between them.
Pistol Pete
Absolutely….two very good tightly matched teams. VGK was not perfect in period three however imo it was more the Herculean effort by a very good Canes team that made the difference that not Vegas’ eff ups. Theo’s delay of game attempted airlift for example CAR capitalized on that to get the game into OT. Great effort by them.
Vic
Thank God they scored or it was another sleepless night. One of the strangest games ever, and in the SCF no less. Lots of heroes with #93 leading the way. We can point fingers at how the game was almost loss, bad bounces, bad plays, but it’s another W. 66 hits for the home team and lots of bumps and bruises. Now some rest and on to game 4.
Knights fan in minnie
I heard it was a pretty good game…but the Glee marathon was on…
knights fan in minny
Oh how precious coming from a *dumb**ass Piece of trash impostor You are the biggest loser on the planet ass Clown
Walt
Final score= Vgk 7, Canes 4
that OT goal was simply justice served .
after gettting 2 goals taken away by the Carolina video replay, the Knights deserved a break.
Go Mitch, Go Nabber, Go Knights !
what a game !
DeezNutz
We looked like Minny mouse’s squirt team in the 3rd there need to clean it up. Should be a 3-0 series.
knights fan in minny
Another piece of trash with a big mouth named a little nutz You’re a gutless punk Little boy
knights fan in minny
In my opinion it looked like aho Tried to hurt Marner That was a pretty hard slash On Mitch’s hand
TS
Minny, i think it was intentional, to be sure. Dirty move. Gotta watch those dirty, desperate Canes!!
knights fan in minny
I bet we see Bussi Tuesday Freddy looks too old and slow
Jeffrey Sutton
i’m getting myself a McNabb jersey, a helmet, and a cage to wear during every trip to the Fortress moving forward
Jason Hall
He (sticks are backwards but u all get it) yah! McNabb is a beast!
knights fan in minny
Could that be the number one Halloween costume in Vegas this year
TS
How about the Bubble Wrap??
Ice Warrior
don’t forget to draw a big line of stitches on your nose.
larry
Lethargy to start.
Utter and complete domination in the second.
Excellent start to the third period yet again….then……
Frustration. Doom. Gloom. Despair. sets in later in the third.
Coping. Maintaining. Persevering in first overtime.
Resilience. Fortitude. Second wind. Pride in second overtime as VGK definitely were the stronger and better-conditioned team as time marched on until rewarded with a fortunate bounce!
Steve
Determination Guts Never Say Die Don’t Give Up The Ship Relentless Perseverance What Else Needs To Be Said
Pistol Pete
Marner’s 28 pts (10G/18A) sets a new VGK single postseason record breaking Eichel’s 26 (6G/20A).
Still leading:
Marner: 28 pts
Howden: 13 G
Eichel and Marner: 18 A
I like the move switching Stone and Pav. Eichel/Stone is a proven combo but then so was Saad-Hertl-Pav. Now I am neither suggesting scratch Sissons for Saad nor move Hertl back to C just trying to make the point that was one of the best lines last year after Saad was acquired, therefore there should be some hope with Hertl and Pav on the same line: Hertl-Sissons-Pav. Pav really needs to step up and produce 5 on 5.
Pistol Pete
I should have added Pav’s future with the team may depend on his 5 on 5 play the remainder of this series. Not saying he’ll be traded just saying it will be a critical stretch for him. Personally I don’t see anything north of $6m unless he really steps up.
Larry
I agree with all of that, he just may end up being a bargaining chip at the culmination of this ultimately winning championship season, after the parade and before the draft, perhaps he gets paid here or could bring in a lot of sorely needed draft capital.
Larry
Last year is soooooo last year! Sissons plays hard and physical and is a much better defensive forward, the name Saad should only be mentioned if and when his name should go on the Cup, but his playing days here are over!
Pistol Pete
Canes last lost back to back January 12 and 13. That is about to change in T-Mobile.
Canes entered this series 12-1 now they are 13-3. Vegas entered the series 12-4 now they are 14-5.
JB
I wasn’t feeling to well, so I went to bed after second. Told my wife this one is over anyway. Holy crap. Just watched third and OT this morning. Don’t know how to explain losing a four goal lead? But we still got the win, all that counts.
TS
Jb, i don’t think ANY of us felt well after that Cane attack!
Ice Warrior
We were at the game. It was heart-stopping. I went to the bathroom in the 3rd. It was 4-0 when I left and 4-3 when I returned. What the HELL? Sat next to some very chirpy Canes fans. God it was so good to shut them up. That game had everything. I’m still shaking my head this morning!
Metamucil salesman
Get some fiber in your diet
Ice Warrior
It was all the beer I drank. You can’t buy beer, you can only rent it….but thanks for your concern.
TS
Ice, Chuckles! And it’s more like you need to take out a small loan to buy the $ 17 (?)beers !! Guess it takes the BIG $$$$ to pay the players!
My pet peeve: the vendors then ” insist” that you pay them a huge tip!! ” Look at the screen in front of you and PICK ONE!” It’s coersion.and extortion!!
Henderson's Finest
Can someone help me out here? Our 2nd disallowed goal (the 1st was clearly offsides) gets overturned on goalie interference because a Canes defender knocks the stick out of Anderson’s hand but the entire team is in Hart’s crease on their 4th goal and it counts? After Thursday, no way Torts would challenge.
Also surprised Torts didn’t use his timeout after either their 2nd or 3rd goal.
Frank
They called it interference because of Barbashev skating through the front of the crease (he knocked Freddie on the head skating through as he was going down to make save). Not that I agree, thought contact was incidental and if you take a good look Andersen is going down to get puck and puts his head directly in Barbashev’s path. And Andersen definitely sold it well, laying on the ice for a few seconds after. The difference between our no-goal in game 2 and the tying goal in game 3 for the Canes is in the latter, the ref did not blow the whistle and immediately wave it off. Both of those goals should have counted IMHO as in both instances the puck was never covered. And no way in heck Torts would challenge that goal after the game 2 challenge……
vgk21
Big important win.
great 2nd , and properly cautious and mistake free OT.
Marner will be playoff mvp, and he has the Vgk haters in Toronto just absolutely looking like the losers they are. but I thank them for chasing him out of Toronto and right into the waiting arms of Misfit Central, aka Vgk.
gotta say though, fair and balanced, that Torts should have called a timeout after the second goal. You cannot allow a team to get that kind of mo rolling without trying to interrupt it, and setttle down your team. shades of SJ game 7
but all is well that ends well, and the chances just went to 77% that a parade may be coming.
Pistol Pete
My son had the very same idea should have called time out.
TS
These coaches get exactly ONE timeout per game..why WHY don’t they USE it??? I’ve been wondering this since Deboer’s past paralysis in games. USE IT!!!!
Larry
TS, actually these kinds of timeout fiascos goes back to Game 7 when Gallant didn’t call a timeout after the first goal scored 7 seconds after the ‘wasn’t even a minor penalty’, to settle the troops down and give them a breather and remind them they had still a 2 goal lead, which I still think led to his firing the following mid season.
TS
Yes, how could i forget THAT one??
JB
Last nights game was already going to be important. But when we blew that lead, it became absolutely needed that we still win it. Could you imagine the thoughts coming out if we lost after that lead? The talking heads in nhl central, Toronto would have had a field day!
HSK
At games end, I can envision Bettman scowling as he sees the suits in the Vgk front office hugging in relieved, disaster avoided triumph.
Pistol Pete
Bettman was in complete awe of what the team accomplished year one and year six. He really showed it after each final game. I really liked him for it.
Richie-Rich
SCF G3 VGK 5, CAR 4 OT2
Game Analysis 39 seconds of horror!
Hockey Gods finally say enough is enough let’s get this game over with.
I had to sleep on this one and then watch it again today.
I had initially thought that Carolina owned the 1st and 3rd periods. But, I have to be honest, you take away those 39 seconds and the Golden Knights dominated. That’s despite being outshot 7-2 in period 1.
I could provide analysis on the 2 that were called back, but there’s no sense. Both were good calls. Barbashev went through the crease and made contact with the goaltender. It’s tough because I believe Eichel would have had a good goal regardless.
In period 1 Carolina brought their game, the VGK brought violence with 16 hits to their 8.
Let’s also give credit to both Walker and & the backboard and Bussi for scoring goals for Vegas in this game.
Three games, 3 comebacks.
WE ARE THE KNIGHTS THAT SAY NI!
Frank
First period was pretty sloppy and even, on both sides. Carolina had a little bit better of the play in the 1st, albeit not much. Second period was utter domination by VGK. We actually put 6 behind Andersen although only 4 of those ended up on the score sheet. First part of the third, we had it in the bag…. then the 39 seconds (need one save there)…. Though none of the goals were particularly bad. Horrible penalty by Theodore to set up the 6 on 4 tying goal – which was alot of puck luck and somehow found its way in…. As the hockey gods give and take – Theo ends up with the uber lucky 2OT goal that goes in off the boards and off the goalie. What a game.
Peter Turner
Sinners, I’ve read all the comments and rewatched the game multiple times, and I keep coming back to the same stretch: those 39 seconds in the third period. Everyone seems to have a different explanation, but this is how I see it.
I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but I think Carter Hart—the guy I’ve supported from the very first day he arrived—simply got overwhelmed for a moment and lost his focus. Hockey moves at an incredible pace, and sometimes even the best players have stretches where things don’t seem to click.
That doesn’t let the defense off the hook. On Carolina’s first goal, I thought No. 55 made a costly back pass to nobody, and what frustrated me even more was seeing every other player hustling back to help while he appeared to be waiting at the red line for a breakout opportunity. At that point in the game, everyone has to be committed to defending. If your teammates are battling to protect the net, you need to be there with them.
Still, when I look at all four Carolina goals, I honestly believe they were stoppable. Not easy saves, but saves that a locked-in Carter Hart is capable of making. To me, he looked a little off, wasn’t tracking the puck as sharply as we’re used to seeing, and in a game decided by inches and split-second reactions, that can make all the difference.
The good news is that we won. Great teams find ways to win even when they aren’t at their best. That’s why I’m choosing to see this as a learning moment rather than a reason to panic. Every player, every coach, and every fan should take something from this game and use it to get better.
And Carter, if by some chance you ever read this, know that this comes from someone who believes in you. You’ve carried this team through difficult moments before, and you’ll do it again. One tough stretch doesn’t define who you are as a goaltender. We need you, we believe in you, and we’re behind you.
Go Knights Go! ⚔️