Vegas spoils Hurricanes’ historic comeback as Golden Knights escape in second OT
In a game that saw long-standing NHL records fall, a hat trick, a saved penalty shot, and a near-record comeback, it was an awkward carom off an end wall that ended the 19th-longest Stanley Cup Final game in NHL history.
Shea Theodore — whose penalty in the third period allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to tie the game and send it to overtime — fired a shot on goal that missed, bounced hard off the boards behind Canes’ goalie Brandon Bussi and then off the prone goalie and into the net, lifting Vegas to a 5-4 win at 5:38 of the second overtime of Game 3.
The Vegas Golden Knights had printed a likeness of forward Mitch Marner on their rally towels for their first home game of the Stanley Cup Final.
That turned out to be a great choice. The crafty forward had a historic natural hat trick and helped the Knights to a four-goal lead in the second period that appeared safe.
But the Hurricanes resiliently fought back, scoring three goals in 39 seconds in the third period and then tying the score 4-4 on Andrei Svechnikov’s power-play goal with 1:42 left in regulation.
Game 4 of the Cup Final will be played Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena, and after the first three, anything could — and possibly will — happen.
It has been that wild, that unpredictable, that close.
Svechnikov’s fourth goal of the playoffs came after Vegas was called for delay of game as defenseman Shea Theodore put a puck over the glass. The Canes then pulled goalie Bussi — yes, Bussi — for a sixth attacker, jammed the net and Svechnikov punched it in.
Bussi made his first career NHL playoff appearance after Frederik Andersen started the first 16 games, but was pulled after the second period in Game 3. Bussi almost immediately had to face a Marner penalty shot after the Vegas star was slashed on a shorthanded breakaway early in the third.
He made the stop, sliding to his glove-hand side.
Golden Knights lose shine in third
The Golden Knights saw a 4-0 lead evaporate quickly in the third period as the Canes struck three times in 39 seconds. Goals by Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal made it a one-goal game — and made NHL history.
The Canes’ three-goal surge was the fastest by a team in a Cup Final game, breaking a 72-year-old record held by the 1954 Montreal Canadiens.
The Canes killed off a Seth Jarvis penalty for delay of game and continued to attack in the last six minutes of regulation. That resulted in Theodore’s penalty, the Svechnikov goal and then overtime.
Hurricanes falter in the second
After having two goals waved off after a coach’s challenge early in the second period, the Knights took advantage of a pair of self-inflicted wounds by the Canes for a 2-0 lead, then doubled it as Marner’s hat trick thrusted him well into the lead among possible Conn Smythe Trophy candidates for playoff MVP.
Marner’s natural hat trick, which took 6:10, is the fastest in a Cup Final game.
Carolina took the first penalty of the game for too many men on the ice and Vegas needed 10 seconds to score as Jack Eichel controlled the puck behind the net and set up Tomas Hertl in the low slot for a shot and score.
Then, it was Marner time.
Marner’s first goal came after he tried to backhand a cross-ice pass, only to have the puck glance off the stick of Canes defenseman Sean Walker in front of the net.
Denied on a breakaway, Marner then took advantage of a turnover, beating Andersen with a slick move, faking the forehand and going backhand.
Marner’s third came when he slipped behind Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin after a Nikishin shot. Marner took a breakout pass, skated down the wing and simply let loose a shot from the top of the right circle that Andersen could not stop.
Canes challenge the system
After a scoreless first period that had Vegas credited with two shots, the Knights had the arena roaring 34 seconds into second when Mark Stone took a pass from Brett Howden in the Canes’ zone and walked in to beat Andersen.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour challenged the goal, and Howden was ruled offside before the pass, disallowing the goal.
Minutes later, Knights fans were again incensed when Vegas crashed the net and appeared to score. But there was contact with Andersen in the crease — Ivan Barbashev hitting Andersen in the head as Andersen tried to play the puck — and again the goal was waved off for goaltender interference.
Andersen dropped his stick and was face-down for several seconds before popping back up.
Barbashev was involved in the goaltender interference call in Game 2 that inflamed the Knights faithful and Vegas coach John Tortorella, as well. That wiped out a goal late in the third period – Tortorella making an unsuccessful challenge.
Tight-checking first
The Golden Knights spent most of the first period getting in their checks, playing the body, hitting anybody and everybody and playing a wear-and-tear type of game. Vegas was credited with 16 hits in the period, ratcheting up the physicality.
One thing the Knights did not do in the first was get shots on goal. Only two, and none in the last 15:14 of the period as the Canes constantly got sticks on pucks in the D-zone,
The Canes had good possession time and a few good looks in the opening period. Andrei Svechnikov was set up for an open chance in the slot but defenseman Noah Hanifin stepped in for the block. Later in the period, first Jarvis and then defenseman K’Andre Miller tested Hart on drives to the net but were stopped.
Injury update
- Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb, hit in the face by a shot in Game 2, was back in the lineup Saturday for Game 3.
- In a game filled with big hits, the Canes had forward Will Carrier leave the game with an upper-body injury and not return.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights are at it again in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Follow along here all night for live updates.
Carolina ties Vegas
What was improbable on so many levels just 30 minutes ago is now reality: Carolina has tied Vegas with four straight goals in the third period of Game 3. This latest one, from Andrei Svechnikov, ended with Seth Jarvis also in the net behind Carter Hart, but he was shoved there during a scrum.
The game is now tied, 4-4.
Carolina has life
The Carolina Hurricanes — left for dead after a terrible second period — have new life. Three times new life.
In a whirlwind of goals, the Hurricanes went from down four... to down just one, on three goals in 39 seconds.
Jordan Martinook swept the puck in at 7:03; Taylor Hall tapped in a beautiful pass from Sebastian Aho at 7:29; and Jordan Staal finished a feed from Eric Robinson at 7:42.
Just like that, we have a tight game. And a reminder here... Brandon Bussi is in net now for Carolina.
Lineup updates
As many likely expected, a couple of lineup changes for the Hurricanes to start the third period. First, and most importantly: Brandon Bussi is now in net for the Canes, replacing Andersen, who never looked quite right after taking a knee to the head on a called-back goal early in the second period.
Bussi, who won 31 games in the regular season for Carolina but has yet to play in the playoffs, is seeing his first career Stanley Cup Playoff action.
Also, William Carrier, who had the terrible turnover that led to the third Vegas goal, has been ruled out with an upper body injury.
Hurricanes dig deep hole
Vegas is rolling now, and the wounds continue to be self-inflicted. Too many men begets a power play goal; a bad deflection off a defender’s stick gets past Frederik Andersen; and now, a terrible in-zone giveaway leads to a third goal.
Mitch Marner took a feed from Brayden McNabb, juked to the low slot and wrapped a backhander past a sprawling, stunned Andersen to put the Knights on top, 3-0.
Marner — again — blasted a slapshot past Andersen with 3:08 to play in the second for his third goal of the game, a hat trick and his 10th of the postseason.
Vegas gets first power play — and first goals
The Hurricanes were caught with too many men on the ice — and it wasn’t an awkward change, there were full-on six players playing — and sent Vegas to its first power play of the game at 9:44 of the second.
It took all of 10 seconds for the Golden Knights to score, and this time it wasn’t coming back. Tomas Hertl swept the puck in from the low slot on the power play set on assists from Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner.
Sixteen seconds later, Mitch Marner added a second Vegas goal when his shot that was headed well wide banked off Sean Walker’s stick and into the net past Frederik Andersen for a goal. Vegas now on top, 2-0.
Vegas thought it had scored — twice
Vegas thought it had scored the first goal of the game at :34 of the second period, when Mark Stone slipped through the D and scored on Frederik Andersen. But after video review, Brett Howden was offside when he carried the puck over the blue line before passing to Stone. Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour challenged successfully, and the goal was taken off the board.
Less than four minutes later, Vegas again got the puck past Andersen. This time, Ivan Barbashev knocked his knee into Andersen’s head as he drove through the crease as Jeck Eichel collected the loose rebound and hit it into the cage. After review: No goal.
Hurricanes playing Hurricanes hockey
After a pair of relatively wide open games to open the series, the Carolina Hurricanes were back to their old stingy selves defensively in the first period of Game 3 on Saturday, allowing just x shots on goal while generating more than a handful against Vegas goalie Carter Hart.
This game has also been more physical than the first couple of games, particularly with the Golden Knights initiating contact at or just after the point of playing the puck.
Despite the better chances for Carolina, neither team managed a goal, and we finish the first deadlocked at 0-0.
Goalies snuff early chances
Both teams have had a few chances to put the puck in the net in the early going — the Canes with a couple more than Vegas — and both goalie have been equal to the task. Carter Hart has stuffed Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis among others. Still no score
Early morning prep
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, saying he was still stuck on East Coast time, woke up early Saturday and decided to take a walk close to the team hotel.
There was a lot to think about. The Canes were hours away from playing the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, playing in T-Mobile Arena, which Staal said he likes.
“It’s such a fun place to play. It has such a great atmosphere and a great vibe to it,” Staal said before the game. “It makes the challenge to quiet them that much better. Being on the road and having the chance to quiet 20,000 people is a fun challenge.”
The Canes have done a good job of quieting crowds in opponents’ arenas in the playoffs, going 6-0 in the road in series wins over Ottawa, Philadelphia and then Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final. The Canes have allowed 19.3 shots and 1.27 goals a game in the six road wins.
After splitting the first two games in Lenovo Center, which was rocking, it’s time to play two in Las Vegas, in the place they call “The Fortress.”
The Canes, after their overtime win Thursday in Game 2, did not practice Friday before the team flight to Las Vegas. Nor did they hold a morning skate Saturday at T-Mobile Arena with a 5 p.m. start.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour tweaked the lines during Game 2 but did not commit to sticking with those changes in Saturday’s game. In Game 2, Jordan Martinook was moved to Sebastian Aho’s line and Seth Jarvis off the Aho line to play with Staal and Nikolaj Ehlers.
“It gives you a different look and a little mental reset for everyone when you shuffle the lines,” Aho said Saturday. “I thought it helped us a bit last game. Jordo’s line was going and everyone was kind of going as we rolled all four lines.”
Back to the desert
The Carolina Hurricanes’ one trip to Las Vegas during the regular season was not a good one.
It came in October, and the Vegas Golden Knights took a 4-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena to hand the Canes their first loss of the season after five straight wins. Sebastian Aho scored the Carolina goal while the top storyline was Vegas goalie Akira Schmid making 22 saves after Adin Hill left in the first period with an injury.
The odds of the two teams playing again in June in Las Vegas probably were not great, but not unreasonable. And here they are, matched up in the Stanley Cup Final and tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.
The first two games of the Final have produced some unforgettable hockey at Lenovo Center as Vegas outlasted the Hurricanes in Game 1, and the Canes rallied to take Game 2 in overtime on a Seth Jarvis power-play goal. Many expect it to be more of the same in the next two games in Las Vegas amid all the glitter that accompanies games at T-Mobile Arena and especially the added accoutrements surely planned for the Stanley Cup Final and to be on display Saturday in Game 3.
“The way the games have played out, it certainly has added to the stress on the coaches,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour quipped Friday. “But it’s also very enjoyable, right? I think it has been very entertaining for everybody and I hope that continues.”
The Hurricanes have not lost a road game in the playoffs this season, going 6-0, which can’t be overlooked, even as Brind’Amour tried to downplay it Friday before the team’s charter flight.
“Again, we’ve been through a lot of it and I think we understand the game really doesn’t change and it shouldn’t change just because you change venues,” he said. “I think we understand that. Everyone talks about that but once you’ve been through it, you can understand what that is.
“The crowd cheers for different things but the game’s still there and if you do it right, your game should still be the same. Every team that plays this time of year, they all get that. They play the same way, play the same on the road as they do at home. There’s not a lot of variation.”
The Canes’ six road wins include overtime victories against the Philadelphia Flyers (Game 4) and Montreal Canadiens (Game 3) as Carolina also has posted a 6-0 record in overtime games.
Game 2 OT thrill lingers
A day after one of the most thrilling games ever played at Lenovo Center, there was still much to discuss, rehash and relive about the 4-3 victory over the Golden Knights.
The Canes trailed 2-0 with 10 minutes left in regulation. They scored three straight goals to take the lead, had Vegas tie it late and then won in overtime, leaving everyone in the building limp and straining vocal cords.
One of the most discussed calls, on social media and among national media, centered on the sequence in the Carolina crease with about five minutes left in regulation. Canes goalie Frederik Andersen was trying to grab and smother the puck, which ended up in the net.
Had the goal stood, Vegas would have led, 3-2. But goaltender interference was called, and the goal waved off on the ice. Vegas head coach John Tortorella used his coach’s challenge, but the call was upheld, with the ruling that Vegas’ Ivan Barbashev interfered with Andersen.
The unsuccessful challenge gave the Canes a power play, and Jordan Staal’s goal gave the Canes a 3-2 lead.
Andersen, asked Friday about the play, said, “Yeah, I think there was some contact with the glove, for sure. I was going to try and cover the puck.”
Andersen was the starting goalie for Carolina in the October regular-season visit to Vegas. The goaltending dynamic for both teams changed as the season unfolded — Brandon Bussi coming off the waiver wire to star and carry Carolina, Vegas signing Carter Hart — but it’s Andersen vs. Hart in the Cup Final as Bussi and Hill are the backups.
This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Vegas spoils Hurricanes’ historic comeback as Golden Knights escape in second OT."
