Mitch Marner scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history. Carolina responded with the fastest three-goal burst in Finals history. Then Shea Theodore settled it in double overtime. Vegas Golden Knights 5, Carolina Hurricanes 4, and the Golden Knights lead the 2026 series 2-1.
A word on what Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena produced before we get to the details: two teams broke two separate all-time Final records in the same game. That does not happen.
Vegas looked to have broken the game open in the second period. Marner scored three times inside 6 minutes 10 seconds — a natural hat trick, the fastest in Stanley Cup Final history. Tomas Hertl added a power play goal, fed by Jack Eichel from below the goal line. Vegas led 4-0 heading into the third period with all four goals arriving in the second. Carolina’s Fredrik Andersen had been peppered.
The Hurricanes did something that will be replayed for years. In the third period, Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Staal scored three goals in 39 seconds, the fastest three-goal burst in Stanley Cup Final history. A 4-0 deficit became 4-3 in under a minute. Las Vegas was rocking.
With 1:42 remaining in regulation, Carolina pulled their goaltender to go six skaters against four. Andrei Svechnikov found the net on the resulting six-on-four power play to tie the game at 4-4. What had looked like an easy Vegas win was now heading to overtime.
First overtime: no score. In double overtime, a failed Carolina clearance fell to Shea Theodore, who converted. 5-4. Vegas win.
Brayden McNabb, who had taken an 87mph puck to the face in Game 2 and whose availability had been listed as uncertain, returned to the lineup and played throughout. Adin Hill was the Vegas goaltender.
Marner’s hat trick takes him to 27 points in these playoffs, a new Vegas Golden Knights franchise record for a single postseason.
The series: Vegas lead 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday in Las Vegas. Carolina have now scored four goals from behind in both games they have lost this series. They will not consider themselves beaten.
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