Live Blog: Cup Final Game 3 as Marner Records Fastest Hat Trick in Final History
Marner Scores Fastest Hat Trick in Stanley Cup Final History as Golden Knights Survive Wild Game 3
The Vegas winger scored three goals in 6:10 to shatter Maurice Richard’s 69-year-old record, then watched Carolina erase a four-goal deficit before Vegas escaped with a 5-4 double-overtime win
What Happened
Mitch Marner scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history during the second period of Game 3 on June 6, 2026, helping the Vegas Golden Knights survive a wild 5-4 double-overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory gave Vegas a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Marner completed his three-goal burst in just 6:10 of game time, beating the previous record of 6:21 set by Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1957 — a mark that had stood for 69 years.
How the Hat Trick Unfolded
Marner’s historic stretch began after he picked up a secondary assist on Vegas’s opening goal, a Tomas Hertl strike at 10:26 of the second period. He then took over the game himself: his first goal came 10:42 into the period, capitalizing on a loose puck after William Karlsson fanned on a shot, with Marner threading a no-look, spinning backhand pass off William Carrier and past goaltender Frederik Andersen.
His second goal followed just 3:50 later, as Marner took a feed from defenseman Brayden McNabb and beat Andersen with a backhand move. His third came another 2:20 after that, when he was sprung on a rush by a Hertl outlet pass and beat Andersen with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle — completing the hat trick and putting Vegas up 4-0.
The performance made Marner the first player to score three goals in a single period of a Stanley Cup Final since Peter Forsberg in 1996, and just the seventh player in NHL history to record a natural hat trick in the Final, joining names including Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, and Sam Reinhart.
A Missed Chance and Carolina’s Stunning Comeback
With a chance to extend Vegas’s lead to 5-0, Marner was awarded a penalty shot just over four minutes into the third period, but was stopped by Hurricanes backup goaltender Brandon Bussi, who had replaced Andersen without Marner initially realizing the goaltending change.
That missed opportunity nearly proved costly. Carolina responded with three goals in just 39 seconds — the fastest three goals by one team in Stanley Cup Final history, surpassing a 56-second mark set by the 1954 Canadiens — cutting the deficit to 4-3. The Hurricanes completed the comeback with 1:42 remaining in regulation when Andrei Svechnikov beat Carter Hart to force overtime.
The Finish
The game remained tied through a full overtime period before Shea Theodore scored the winner in double overtime, with Jordan Martinook inadvertently redirecting the puck in off his own skate past Bussi, sealing Vegas’s 5-4 win and 2-1 series lead.
Marner’s Historic Night by the Numbers
Beyond the hat trick itself, Marner set multiple records in a single game: he became the first player since Frank Foyston in 1919 to record four points (three goals, one assist) in a single period of a Stanley Cup Final. His four-point period also made him the first Golden Knights player to record multiple four-point games in one postseason.
With 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) through 19 playoff games, Marner leads all postseason scorers — eight points ahead of teammate Jack Eichel and 11 ahead of both linemate Brett Howden and Carolina’s Taylor Hall. It’s the most points by a Golden Knights player in a single postseason, surpassing Eichel’s 26 points during Vegas’s 2023 championship run.
A Redemption Story
Marner’s big night carries extra significance given his history in Toronto, where he faced years of criticism over perceived playoff underperformance with the Maple Leafs despite consistent regular-season production. He signed with Vegas in a sign-and-trade on July 1, 2025. Since the move, Marner has thrived: he scored 10 playoff goals in just 19 games this postseason, compared to 13 goals across 70 career playoff games with Toronto.
Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who orchestrated the trade for Marner, called it a “tremendous individual performance” that “impacts every part of the game for our team.” Teammate Jack Eichel added: “He’s been doing it all playoffs for us… he’s on another level right now.”
What It Means Going Forward
Marner’s performance has strengthened his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoffs’ most valuable player, with observers including six-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier praising his two-way versatility. The Golden Knights now lead the series 2-1 heading into Game 4, with the record-breaking win giving Vegas momentum in a series that had been tied 1-1 after two close, one-goal games in Raleigh.
