The unlikeliest of games needed the unlikeliest of bounces to go the Vegas Golden Knights’ way.
In an instant classic, in a Stanley Cup Final that has done nothing but deliver in thrillers, the Knights overcame an improbable collapse and hung on to win 5-4 over the Carolina Hurricanes in double overtime in Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Defenseman Shea Theodore was credited with the winner at 5:38 when his shot from the point caromed off the boards, deflected off a Carolina stick and deflected in.
The Knights lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
Forward Mitch Marner recorded a natural hat trick in the second period, and added an assist on Tomas Hertl’s power-play goal to put the Knights up 4-0 after two periods.
Marner recorded the fastest hat trick in Cup Final history at 6 minutes, 10 seconds.
There are games where events take place that write themselves.
Like the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite, in his first Stanley Cup Final, scoring the fastest hat trick in Cup Final history.
Those goals, one sending T-Mobile Arena into euphoria one after the next, putting the Knights up 4-0 after 40 minutes.
Marner’s four points gives him 28 in the playoffs, a new Knights playoff record.
Marner was even given a penalty shot early in the third period that would’ve been the perfect cap on his historic night.
Instead, the historic night wound up going the other way for all the wrong reasons.
The Hurricanes — after rallying from two goals down in the third period of Game 2 and winning in overtime — did one better on Saturday.
Better yet, they did four better.
Carolina scored three times in 39 seconds to cut the lead to one, and then forward Andrei Svechnikov tied it on the power play with 1:42 remaining to complete the first four-goal comeback in Stanley Cup Final history.
No team had ever come back from four goals down in the 108 previous times before it.
Carolina’s furious rally was capped off by goals with Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal to cut it to 4-3 with 12:18 to go.
Lost in the madness of all of that was Carolina starting goaltender Frederik Andersen being pulled after allowing four goals on 16 shots.
Brandon Bussi, one of the NHL’s unlikeliest heroes during the regular season, finished the game and gave his team every chance to win at the end.
The Knights were supposed to cruise to being two wins away from their second Stanley Cup championship. The road to get there wound up being bumpier than usual.
But the Knights found a way, much like they have this entire postseason. And they managed to save their best for last.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
