Golden Knights overcome Hurricanes in all-time Stanley Cup classic to take 2-1 lead

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vegas-golden-knights/fTT0TsUg/"]Golden Knights[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/carolina-hurricanes-Sx0gl0tm/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=MuXlJtHP"]seized a 2-1 edge[/a] in the NHL's best-of-seven championship series with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/carolina-hurricanes-Sx0gl0tm/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=hONKDKvm"]Game 4 set for Tuesday[/a], also in Las Vegas.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/theodore-shea/zwr54Xsd/"]Theodore[/a], who leads all defensemen with six playoff goals, got a measure of redemption after his penalty late in the third period set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-hurricanes/Sx0gl0tm/"]Carolina[/a]'s equaliser after Vegas led 4-0.[/p][p]"[b]That can't happen again,[/b]" said Theodore.[/p][p]"[b]Defensively, we have to be sharper. I fired that puck out of play with three minutes left. That's on me. I was fortunate to get it back there in overtime.[/b]"[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="1d40c9ba-a0bd-4d3c-9b29-7039cf5d72ec" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f6133067-ba73-4048-b32f-9aef4783398f" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Theodore's off-target shot struck the boards behind the goal, but the puck bounced off the stick of Carolina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinook-jordan/0O3RdaYE/"]Jordan Martinook[/a] and struck the back of Hurricanes goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bussi-brandon/YXCZz0JU/"]Brandon Bussi[/a]'s left foot, then slid into the net.[/p][p][b]"There were a lot of pucks bouncing everywhere," [/b]Theodore said.[/p][p][b]"I like the resiliency of our group. I like the way we started the second overtime, and I thought we were playing more on our toes."[/b][/p][embed guid="6802adbf-3196-4d67-9641-43060fc1275d" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYBsNDGOMhg&pp=ygUDbmhs" social-type="youtube" /][p]Vegas star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marner-mitchell/Agmv3YoI/"]Mitch Marner[/a] scored the fastest hat-trick in Stanley Cup Final games in only six minutes and 10 seconds as Vegas stormed to a 4-0 lead.[/p][p]After [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hertl-tomas/WAU1Snrj/"]Tomas Hertl[/a] netted a power play goal in the second period for a 1-0 lead, Marner took control.[/p][h2]Marner scores fastest final hat-trick[/h2][p]His first goal came off a deflection, the next on a backhand shot and the third with a blast from the right wing off the far post[/p][p][b]Marner's three goals in 6:10 broke the former fastest final hat-trick of 6:21, set 69 years ago by Montreal legend Maurice Richard.[/b][/p][image alt="Marner's stats for the match" id="53f4efc6-884e-40fd-bb47-888f4677800c" credit-line="Flashscore (photo by Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images)" guid="6bea83b3-37c1-4da5-8ce6-eb84b2433234" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Marner had only the second natural hat-trick - three consecutive goals - in one period in final history, the other was by Ted Lindsay in 1955.[/p][p]And it was the first one-period Cup Final hat trick since Peter Forsberg in 1996.[/p][p]Carolina switched to backup goalie Bussi in the third period, and he stopped Marner on the first Cup Final penalty shot in 19 years.[/p][embed guid="ab382af3-7bd2-42c1-94fc-2b81194442f4" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2063444142605144540?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Bussi then watched the Hurricanes score three goals in 39 seconds, another Stanley Cup Final record, to put the game on a knife-edge at 4-3.[/b][/p][p]Martinook scored 7:03 into the third period, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hall-taylor/4dK9PWLO/"]Taylor Hall[/a] scored 26 seconds later, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/staal-jordan/nybJM7z7/"]Jordan Staal[/a] netted a tip-in 13 seconds after that.[/p][p]Theodore's delay of game penalty set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svechnikov-andrei/6DbeHrlr/"]Andrei Svechnikov[/a]'s power play equaliser with 1:42 remaining to take it to overtime.[/p][p]The 28 playoff points by Marner this season are the most in NHL history by any player in his first campaign with a team, the 29-year-old Canadian arriving last year in a sign-and-trade deal from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-maple-leafs/ShE7Z8G3/"]Toronto[/a].[/p][embed guid="1293d65c-bc68-4d4e-a519-2521c2c47db0" url="https://x.com/GoldenKnights/status/2063480732564300119" social-type="twitter" /][p]Marner passed along any praise to his linemates.[/p][p][b]"Can't do it by myself, that's for sure," [/b]Marner said. [b]"All five guys have been on a great page. I like our line's game a lot."[/b][/p][p]The Golden Knights won their sole NHL crown in 2022, the Hurricanes in 2006.[/p][p][b]"We've got to just keep going, keep playing the same way we are, keep being aggressive, and when we get our chances, try and keep capitalising," [/b]Marner said.[/p]