Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 Features Historic Moments
Mitch Marner’s impressive hat trick during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night was just a fraction of an extraordinary performance.
The Golden Knights edged out the Hurricanes 5-4 in a thrilling double overtime matchup in Las Vegas, a game that will likely be remembered for its unprecedented moments and record-breaking events.
Marner ignited the action in the second period shortly after Tomas Hertl scored the Golden Knights’ first goal on a power play.
This former Maple Leaf made history by becoming the fastest player to score three goals in Cup Final history, accomplishing the feat in just 6 minutes and 10 seconds. This broke the previous record set by Maurice “Rocket” Richard back in 1957, which stood at 6 minutes and 21 seconds.
In addition to his hat trick, Marner assisted on Hertl’s goal, making him only the second player in NHL Finals history to score four points in a single period, joining Frank Foyston from 1919.
At 29 years old, Marner also became the second player ever to net a natural hat trick in one period during these playoffs—Ted Lindsay was the first in 1955. After this remarkable game, Marner now boasts 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 19 games, leading the playoffs by a considerable margin.
His performance puts him in solid contention for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoff MVP.
“I think a lot of guys made great plays to set me up,” Marner said after the game, as Las Vegas took a 2-1 series lead. “It’s about teamwork—everyone needs to be on the same page, and we really did that well tonight.”
For a brief moment, Marner’s hat trick and the Golden Knights’ 4-0 lead was the only remarkable aspect of the game.
The Hurricanes quickly responded to that with a historic feat of their own, scoring three goals in record time for a team in the finals. Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Staal netted three goals within just 39 seconds, closing the gap to one goal less than eight minutes into the third period. This surpassed the previous record set by the Canadiens in 1954, which was 56 seconds.
Andrei Svechnikov tied the game with a power-play goal late in the third period.
In fact, Saturday marked the highest-scoring Game 3 in Stanley Cup Finals history.
Alongside the nine goals, there were also two disallowed goals for Vegas in the second period; Mark Stone’s was ruled offside, and Jack Eichel’s was negated due to goalie interference.
