There are some great options for the Chicago Blackhawks to think about when it comes to making the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Some of it will depend on who is available to them following the selections of the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks.
If Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg falls to them, you can almost guarantee that they will take him. He is a highly skilled forward who projects to make an impact in the NHL right away.
Most have Stenberg as the second most skilled player in the draft, but other factors at play could lead him to Chicago. The Maple Leafs are almost surely going to take Gavin McKenna first overall.
Behind them is the San Jose Sharks, who truly need the best defenseman in the draft more than the second-best forward in the draft. Then there is the Vancouver Canucks, who may be the wild card here. They very well could go with Caleb Malhotra, the top center in the draft. Not only do they need centers more than wingers organizationally, but Malhotra’s dad, Manny, was also just named to be their new head coach.
It is not a guarantee, or even a likely scenario necessarily, but the door is open for Stenberg to come to Chicago. He is a great player who wants to excel in the NHL.
"I want to be over here and play in the best league in the world. That's my goal." Stenberg said at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.
Being drafted and playing in the NHL right away doesn’t happen much, but he has the tools to make that attempt. The Blackhawks could have the center depth needed if Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar work out at those positions, which makes a winger like Stenberg the perfect draft pick for them.
There is substance to Stenberg wanting to play in the NHL right away. He has played against grown men in the SHL and at the IIHF World Championships. He was a noticeable player in each situation, which is why he is projected to be drafted so high. If he ended up with the Chicago Blackhawks, he would absolutely push for a full-time role.
Having the right level of confidence is half the battle when trying to become a regular NHL player, and Stenberg has it. To say he sees himself as a day one NHL caliber player speaks volumes.
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On Saturday night, with Game 3 in Vegas after an emotional Game 2 win, the Carolina Hurricanes were looking to take a series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
The game started fairly similarly to the previous two. Carolina controlled most of the play in the first period, but in the second period, the Vegas Golden Knights flipped the script.
Through the first two games, the Golden Knights have outscored the Hurricanes 3-1, but in Game 3, they scored four goals, highlighted by a hat trick by Mitch Marner.
To start the third period, trailing by four goals, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour pulled goaltender Frederik Andersen out of the crease in favor of ex-Florida Panther netminder Brandon Bussi.
“There’s no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going... (Bussi) gave us a chance,” said Brind’Amour. “The overtime winner is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”
Bussi was put to the test to stop a Marner penalty shot and succeeded. That changed momentum, as the Hurricanes pulled off a four-goal comeback, which included three goals in 39 seconds. The Hurricanes were able to send a second consecutive game to overtime, but luck wasn’t on their side.
The Hurricanes drove play to start the first overtime stanza, but their pressure slowly fizzled out. In the second overtime frame, Shea Theodore fired a slap shot from the point that missed the net but ricocheted off the boards, off Bussi’s foot, and into the goal.
With the tally, the Golden Knights took an emotional Game 3 victory by a score of 5-4.
Bussi turned away 18 of the 19 shots he faced, but it wasn’t enough. Although could it be enough for coach Brind’Amour to consider turning to Bussi for Game 4? Andersen hasn’t been as stoic as he was in the first three rounds, and the Hurricanes will need a spark in Game 4.
“We’ll figure all that out later,” said the Canes bench boss about the goaltending situation in Game 4. “We’ve got a couple of days to reassess how we’re going to go about the next game.”
It’s a difficult decision that Brind’Amour will have to ponder between now and Tuesday.
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Making a somewhat surprising trip across the pond, a former Philadelphia Flyers interim coach is jumping to the KHL, taking over one of the league's better teams.
After five years, former Flyers coach Scott Gordon has returned to the bench as the head coach of a professional hockey team, following his appointment as the new head coach of the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Flyers fans will remember Gordon, 63, as the coach who replaced the fired Dave Hakstol in the 2018-19 season, before returning to his post as Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach in the AHL.
Gordon coached the Phantoms for six seasons before he was succeeded by Ian Laperriere, and guided the Flyers to a 25-22-4 record in 51 games during his lone season in charge of the big club.
Previously, Gordon served as the head coach of the New York Islanders for parts of three seasons, amassing a dismal record of 64-94-23.
During his time with the Flyers organization, Gordon wasn't given the lay of the land to work with, but the former NHL goalie did help develop players such as Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Travis Sanheim, Phil Myers, Shayne Gostisbehere, Scott Laughton, Cam York, Morgan Frost, Tyson Foerster, and Joel Farabee over his six-year tenure.
Now in the KHL, Gordon takes over a Traktor team that is just one year removed from an appearance in the Gagarin Cup Final.
"We've had nothing but positive feedback about Scott Gordon from the start, both from his North American colleagues and the players he worked with. Everyone noted his high level of organization and culture in building key team processes: daily life, training, game preparation, and team relations," Traktor GM Alexei Volkov was quoted as saying by Championat.
"The number of players who graduated from his teaching and went on to play at a high level in the NHL is truly impressive. In daily conversations about Chelyabinsk and Traktor, Scott repeatedly emphasized his readiness to apply his vast experience to a new location and would gladly accept the club's offer. We are confident in his personal qualities and have already begun a great deal of work together."
Gordon and his new Traktor team will be seeing quite a bit of Flyers prospect Egor Zavragin, who was just traded to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Saturday; Metallurg and Traktor both play in the Kharlamov Division in the KHL's Eastern Conference.
After leaving the Flyers organization in 2021, Gordon served as an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks from 2022 to 2024, went to be an assistant coach for the USHL Youngstown Phantoms, then took over as head coach of the USHL Waterloo Black Hawks.
Now, the one-time Flyers boss is going international for the first time.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 29: John Marino #6 of the Utah Mammoth celebrates his goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on April 29, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s jump back in time to the 2021 prospect pool for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was not a very good time for the youth in the organization, considering that the Pens only made one first round pick from 2016-21 during their period of maximizing the contending window in those days. Part of the price for banners that will hang forever is a willingness to sacrifice assets for the future.
As you’ll see in the list, the Penguins did that in a major way. Pittsburgh ranked 29th in prospects rankings from The Athletic in Feb. 2021 and were 29th again in Feb. 2022. Not much was expected, and now a few years later it’s clear that lived up to the billing with only three players currently in the NHL and minimal overall impact from the pool at this time.
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#25: Santeri Airola: I always liked Airola’s style as a puck mover in the limited looks from the summer development camps he attended in Pittsburgh. In the end, he never signed in North America and has played in the Finnish league his whole career. Now 25, he had his best season for producing points in 2025-26 for SaiPa Lappeenranta with 34 (11G+23A) in 57 games. In the end, he turned out to be a pretty decent player in that league.
#24: Jan Drozg – Drozg stayed in the Pens’ organization until 2022, mostly as an AHL player. Then came four middling years in the KHL before going to the Austrian league in 2025-26.
#23: Will Reilly – Reilly also stayed with the Pens in the AHL through 2022, won the ECHL Kelly Cup with Florida in 2024 and last year played for the KHL team in Shanghai. Pretty interesting career journey for him.
#22: Clayton Phillips – A former third round pick in 2017, Phillips never got his career on track. He only played one game with WBS in 2022 after finishing up at Penn State. He then played for two different ECHL teams in 2022-23 outside of Pittsburgh’s organization and retired.
#21: Chase Yoder – Always saw a lot of Brandon Tanev in the fellow Providence product of Yoder, but he didn’t grit/effort his way to the big time. The Pens didn’t sign Yoder, who finished up his five collegiate seasons in 2025. Last year was his first pro year, split between ECHL (27 points in 39 games) and AHL (five points in 23 games) on an AHL contract.
#20: Kirill Tankov – Tankov, only 24 years old, still has his rights retained by the Pens but it doesn’t look like he’s in the plans for the NHL team. His career hit a bump in the road after suffering a neck injury in 2022, but he did graduate to a full-time KHL spot this season and scored 13 points in 42 games.
#19: Raivis Ansons – Ansons has hung on the very fringes of the organization, he got an entry level contract but couldn’t win a full-time AHL job by the end of it. He signed an AHL contract with Wilkes for 2025-26 and again split time between the ECHL/AHL this year. He has played two playoff games in the current WBS run, but has mostly been a depth player/scratch.
#18: Lukas Svejkovsky – A fourth round pick in 2020, Svejkovsky found his high scoring rates in the WHL and ECHL couldn’t be carried up to the AHL level (19 points in 66 games split over two years with WBS). He’s played in Finland the last two seasons.
#17: Judd Caulfield – Caulfield was traded to Anaheim and has spent his entire three-year pro career with their AHL team in San Diego. Now 25, he did set career-highs in goals (17), assists (21) and points (38) this season, proving to be a decent AHL option.
#16: Jonathan Gruden – Gruden looks like he peaked in 2023-24, playing 13 games with NHL Pittsburgh as an injury call-up. Since then, it’s been a downward trend – his role and points went way down with Wilkes in 2024-25 as organizational priorities shifted and he was traded to New Jersey. Gruden’s spent all his time in the Devils organization with their AHL team in Utica as a nice AHL option.
#15: Kasper Bjorkqvist – Injuries did a number on the 2016 second round pick, who opted to leave the Pens’ organization in 2022 and head back to Finland where he’s played the last four seasons with fairly middling stats (three goals and 12 points in 30 games in 2025-26).
#14: Jordy Bellerive – Another instance of injury derailing a career, Bellerive was never able to get back on track after an off-ice injury. He played in the AHL until 2024, with the Pens until 2022 and ended up playing in the Swedish lower league in 2024-25 and signed with a Slovakian team in 2025-26.
#13: Cam Lee – Lee has played in the KHL for the last four seasons after leaving WBS in 2022.
#12: Drew O’Connor – O’Connor is a rare success story for this pool, scoring 17 goals for NHL Vancouver last season and working on a $5.0 million contract ($2.5m per year). He improved his skating enough to become a solid NHL player.
#11: Joel Blomqvist – Blomqvist has been with AHL Wilkes the last three full seasons. He’s worked his way towards being one of the better goalies in that league, only to find himself passed up by a younger prospect who has been a little better in Sergei Murashov. His upward path might be blocked now, to no real detriment of his own with his contract running out this summer. Where his future plays out will be interesting to see.
#10: Isaac Belliveau – Belliveau played two seasons with PIT, split between ECHL/AHL, then was traded to Buffalo. He was able to avoid the ECHL but only appeared in 36 AHL games this season for Rochester. He’s another player who has been great in the Juniors and ECHL as far as production and role but struggled to make much of an impact in the AHL.
#9: Calle Clang – Clang was traded to Anaheim as part of the Rickard Rakell trade. He’s made his way up to being AHL San Diego’s most used goalie in 2025-26 but his stats look unremarkable with a career AHL save percentage under .900.
#8: Filip Lindberg – Lindberg played 26 total games with WBS from 2021-23 then the goalie opted to go back to his native Finland where it looks like he’s held down a backup position for four different teams in the last three seasons. His high ranking was the result of being dominant in college from 2019-21 at UMass but his path didn’t stay in that direction much longer.
#7: Nathan Legare – A member of the NJD organization since 2024, Legare has been remaking his game from scoring forward into a physical lower liner. He’s played four total NHL games with the Devils in the last two seasons, working mostly out of AHL Utica where he scored 13 goals and 20 points in 65 games this season. Skating concerns and a lack of scoring touch ended up limiting the ceiling for the former third round pick.
#6: Tristan Broz – It feels like Broz, still just 23, has been around forever. The 2021 second round pick spent three years at college and has become one of the better and more clutch players in the AHL (11 points in 13 games on the current WBS run). Unfortunate timing on injury/illnesses has limited him to only one NHL game, though there could be more ahead in the near future.
#5: Valtteri Puustinen – Always a prevalent point producer in Finland and the AHL, Puustinen got a serious look with Pittsburgh and scored 20 points in 52 games in 2023-24. It didn’t quite come together for him for long at the NHL level and he was traded to Colorado – where he is still active on the AHL Eagles playoff run (giving the possibility of Puustinen to play WBS in the Calder Cup Finals, if both win their current series).
#4: Filip Hallander – Hallander’s had quite the journey, playing mostly in the AHL from 2021-23, opting to sign with a Swedish team where he spent two seasons, and then a return to the NHL in 2025-26. A blood clot issue shut down his season in November, what happens from here with that remains outwardly unknown. He is under contract for 2026-27 with Pittsburgh and could be a fringe player in the lineup, assuming the health situation is cleared. Seemingly just as easily, he might not be an NHL option with other younger players pushing for a lineup spot, plus re-signings of players like Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte.
#3: Samuel Poulin – Poulin’s time with the Pens came to an end late in 2025, being a part of the Stuart Skinner/Tristan Jarry trade. He didn’t sniff NHL Edmonton for the rest of the season, playing 49 games with AHL Bakersfield to wrap up the year. Poulin qualifies as a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason, his next step remains unknown at this point.
#2: Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Appearing mostly as an AHL player from 2019-22, Joseph made the jump to full-time NHLer in 2023. It’s been spotty since then, changing teams three times in the last two seasons. He caught on with Vancouver for 2025-26 but was a depth player appearing in 31 NHL games for the worst team in the league. His contract is up, Vancouver could opt to keep his rights as a restricted free agent if they choose to do it under new management.
#1: John Marino – Marino was traded to New Jersey in 2022, endured some up and down seasons and was moved to Utah in 2024. He’s appeared to find a good fit with the Mammoth, appearing in the second most TOI for them in the playoffs and a close third in the regular season. In 2025-26 Marino finally broke his single-season point best of 26 from his rookie year with the Pens in 2019-20, where he scored 36 points. Amazingly, he’s still got one more season to go on the contract that Pittsburgh signed him to back in January of 2021, which is like a hockey lifetime ago considering all the changes to the Pens and for Marino since that point.
The Carolina Hurricanes were mere inches from doing what no team had ever done before: Comeback from a four-goal deficit to win a Stanley Cup Final game.
After trailing 4-0 after 40 minutes, the Canes found a way to rally back and force overtime, becoming just the second team ever in Stanley Cup Final history to erase a four-goal deficit (1972 New York Rangers).
But they hoped to do what they couldn't: win.
Unfortunately for them though, this game will not be one that is long remembered in the annals of history, shown in the 3 p.m. slot on NHL Network in the summer a decade from now.
Instead, the Hurricanes wound up on the losing side of a 5-4 double overtime decision in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Vegas Golden Knights due to one of the most heartbreaking bounces you can have.
"It's probably the toughest game I've ever lost," said Andrei Svechnikov.
Much like the rest of the series, this game was a wild one.
After a strong opening frame, the Hurricanes seemingly shut off their brains for the second, compiling mistake on top of mistake as the Golden Knights just unloaded on Carolina, potting four goals in the final half of the period.
It was arguably one of the worst periods in Stanley Cup Final history, as the Hurricanes saw six goals make their way into the back of their net (only four of which ended up actually counting as the first two were called off for offside and goaltender interference respectively).
"I thought we were okay to start, and even the start of the second, the first six minutes, everything was going fine and then we took a bad penalty," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "Then they made a nice play and a bad bounce on the second one and then it just snowballed on us for the rest of that period."
"It was just kind of not our game," said captain Jordan Staal. "Too many turnovers and not trusting in just playing in their end and grinding them down and doing what we did in the first and staying with it and just kind of got lax a little bit. They're a good team. I mean there's no question they've got some high end talent and they're going to make plays and make moves. We can't be taking any breaths on any of the shifts against that team."
But the team has never been one to give up on any game and they found a way to battle in the third period.
It started with Brind'Amour electing to go with backup netminder Brandon Bussi in relief for Frederik Andersen and he immediately gave Carolina a chance, stopping multiple shots right away, including an already hat-trick scored Mitch Marner on a penalty shot.
"Honestly, I was pretty even keeled,' Bussi said. "I think these are the moments you want to be playing in, right? Just put my head down and have fun with it."
The saves settled Carolina in and they, themselves well line blended, were able to get on a perhaps overly comfortable Vegas team, scoring three times in the span of 39 seconds to make it a game once again.
Jordan Martinook got the team going, sliding the puck five-hole on Carter Hart after Seth Jarvis forced a turnover, then on the ensuing shift, Sebastian Aho jumped on a Vegas turnover and fed a perfect pass across to Taylor Hall in off the rush and then Jordan Staal tipped in a shot from the point.
"I know one thing," Brind'Amour said. "We've been in games where we haven't played well and we always find a way to dig ourselves out. Always."
It was an insane sequence to behold and all of a sudden, everyone in gold got very, very tense.
Carolina continued to push, but it wouldn't be until the last possible moments were they'd get their best chance for an equalizer as Shea Theodore was assessed a minor penalty for delay of game with just over two minutes to go.
Wouldn't you know it, the Hurricanes found that fourth goal too, as Andrei Svechnikov cleaned up a loose puck amongst a sea of bodies with just over a minute to go.
"We never give up on anything," Svechnikov said. "We just keep going and going. That's our identity. Never quit."
They had done it and now momentum was on their side.
In OT, Carolina had their chances, the team was credited with 23 overall in the extra frames, and their were multiple times when the pucks were there in the slot and other high-danger areas, but combinations of bouncing pucks and tight checks prevented them from capitalizing.
And that's probably why this loss feels so much more punishing, because they were the better team from that third period on, they just couldn't get the bounce.
Instead, the Golden Knights got one of the flukiest ones you'll see, with Shea Theodore, who went from zero to hero in an instant, letting a one-timer go that was well wide of the net, but still ended up ricocheting back up and in off of Bussi's leg.
I guess it's true what they say in Vegas, the house always wins.
"There are no moral victories this time of year," Brind'Amour said. "It's irrelevant to be honest. We have to regroup."
"It's part of the gig and it's never easy," Staal said. "It's never going to be easy and we know that and we understand that. We’ve got a bigger hill to climb now, but we're excited for the challenge and excited to keep playing hard and keep moving forward."
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Between Games 2 and 3 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, professional wrestler and viral black magic guru Danhausen put a curse on the Carolina Hurricanes. This curse came in the form of a Cameo, so the validity of the hex is up for debate, but the Vegas Golden Knights certainly played like a team aided by a supernatural entity.
Or, at least, they played like a team with a supernatural entity watching over them for two periods.
In the National Hockey League, no lede— er, lead— is safe. The debatably-cursed Hurricanes came all the way back in the third, scoring three goals in 39 seconds and finding the equalizer on a late-game power play with their goalie pulled for the extra attacker.
The Hurricanes had all the momentum heading into overtime. Teams that trailed by at least four goals in a Stanley Cup Final game were 0-108, but after that miraculous comeback, they had the opportunity to establish themselves on the right side of history.
And that’s when they felt the full force of Danhausen’s curse.
The Golden Knights have a 2-1 lead in the series, which is a familiar position for them to be in. They have not trailed in a series since Game 3 in the First Round, and thanks to Danhausen’s curse, they may never trail in a series again this postseason.
In the second period, the Golden Knights scored four goals in a span of 6:26. Three of these goals came courtesy of Mitch Marner, who recorded a natural hat trick in just six minutes and ten seconds. Marner’s natural hat trick broke a 69-year-old record to become the fastest in Stanley Cup Final history.
The previous record holder was none other than Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who recorded a six-minute, twenty-one-second hat trick in Game 1 of the 1957 Stanley Cup Final.
Marner has been the driving force behind the Golden Knights’ postseason run, and he continues to put the team on his back when they need him most. He recorded four points tonight, ten shots on goal, three hits, and was a +3 in 27 minutes of ice time.
“You need all five guys on the ice to all be on the same page, and I thought our line did a really good job of that throughout the entire night,” said Marner following the 5-4 overtime win. “I thought our line played a really good game throughout all 3 periods— uh, all five, I guess. I thought we did a really good job of just advancing pucks, winning battles down low, and making plays.
“I thought we had good looks all night from all three of us,” Marner finished. “I got put in good areas by my teammates, and I was happy enough to finish them off.”
2. Hold On, Partner, I Am Overstimulated
Following a dramatic Game 1, John Tortorella said he expected the whole series to be equally back-and-forth. I don’t think he had any idea just how right he’d be.
The Golden Knights kicked off the scoring with two goals that came 16 seconds apart. They added another less than four minutes later, and a fourth that came 2:20 after that.
In the third period, the Hurricanes rode a momentum wave of their own, scoring the fastest three goals in Stanley Cup Final history. Their second goal came 26 seconds after their first; their third, 13 seconds after the second.
“[It was] a crazy game,” said Mitch Marner postgame. “I’m really happy with how our group responded, staying calm in the moment. Going into overtime, we just trusted the calmness and went out there and kept doing what we were doing.”
This is just the fifth Stanley Cup Final over the last 45 years to have each of the first three games decided by a goal. But, hey– won’t somebody please think of the ratings?
3. Shea Theodore and the Shawshank Redemption
Most of the spotlight tonight is pointed at Mitch Marner for his second-period heroics, and understandably so. Brayden McNabb, too, is rightfully getting his flowers for returning to the lineup less than 48 hours after taking an 87-MPH slapshot to the face.
Not enough is being said about Shea Theodore, who played 39:09 in this double-overtime thriller, provided an assist, and sent the fans home happy by scoring the game-winning goal. He blocked three shots, recorded three shots on goal, and was a +3.
Of course, Theodore also took an untimely penalty leading to Carolina’s game-tying goal. With 2:55 remaining in regulation, he flipped the puck over the glass and had to watch as Andrei Svechnikov tied it on a late power play.
In the end, his late-game penalty doesn’t matter. When his team needed a hero, Theodore stepped up and donned the cape in double overtime.
Theodore’s game-winner wasn’t the prettiest of his career. It took a lively bounce off the end boards, hopped into Brandon Bussi’s skate, and ricocheted into the back of the net.
“It’s exactly the way I planned,” joked Theodore following the 5-4 overtime win. “Obviously, you want to be the guy that scores, but at the same time, you just want to play well, carry the play, and be smart defensively… Just get things to the net, and sometimes good bounces happen.
“I was pretty gassed there towards the end,” Theodore finished. “I was just relieved that the game was over and that we got the win.”
Not necessarily fans of the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, because they're probably still catching their breath after another wild series of twists and turns.
But hockey fans, in general.
How many thought that this series would be a defensive slog with both teams so capable of limiting opponents' chances?
Instead, it has been crazily unpredictable with 25 total goals over three games and comebacks galore. The first two games produced something never done before in the Stanley Cup Final when each team had a multigoal comeback. And then Carolina overcame a 4-0 deficit to force overtime before falling in the second overtime.
He hadn't played a second of the postseason before replacing Frederik Andersen after the second intermission. But he quickly had to stop Marner's penalty shot and make other tough saves to allow Carolina to get back into the game. He can't be faulted for the fluke goal he allowed in the second overtime.
Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb
He went to the hospital and needed 20 to 30 stitches after getting hit by a puck in Game 2. He returned for Game 3 and wasn't eased back in. He played nearly 36 minutes and had two assists, including on the game-winner. That's five assists in two full games for a player mostly known for the defensive side of his game.
ABC's Dave Jackson
The former referee and ABC/ESPN's NHL rules expert was kept busy. There were two disallowed goals early in the second period and then Jackson explained why John Tortorella shouldn't challenge Andrei Svechnikov's tying goal. The Golden Knights coach didn't.
LOSERS
The way the game ended
Once you reach the second overtime, it's usually not going to be a brilliant play that ends the game. But Shea Theodore's goal is about as fluky as it gets. His shot hit the back boards and went in off Bussi. Doesn't seem a fitting way to end a game that had so much going for it.
Carolina's Andersen and Vegas' Carter Hart were stellar in earlier rounds. Less so in the Final. They both have played a lot more consecutive games than they usually do. There are two days off until Game 4. Maybe the rest will help. Or does coach Rod Brind'Amour start Bussi in Game 4?
Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker
He started Marner's hat trick with an own goal, accidentally deflecting the forward's centering feed into the net. Later, he broke the stick with which Marner set the record.
Sean Walker broke Mitch Marner's hat trick stick, but Mitch still made sure to collect it 😅 pic.twitter.com/tFCY4BfC5m
William Carrier, the former Golden Knight who was cheered during introductions, had to leave the game after a check. K'Andre Miller was working with a trainer earlier in the game. Jalen Chatfield fell awkwardly though a bench door when it opened as he was checked. Carrier's injury seemed the most serious.
The Golden Knights defeated the Hurricanes on Saturday.
LAS VEGAS — A four-goal lead in what has been a wacky, compelling and highly entertaining Stanley Cup Final nearly wasn’t enough for the Golden Knights on Saturday night.
A four-goal, third-period rally by the Hurricanes nearly made NHL history and in process sent shockwaves through T-Mobile Arena.
And this game ended in a way perhaps befitting all the craziness, a shot from Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore off the skate of Brandon Bussi — the backup goalie put in the game in the third period after not playing for two months — that went into the net at 5:38 of double overtime to give the Golden Knights a 5-4 victory over Carolina.
“I have experienced a lot of games in playoffs,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. “I haven’t experienced one like this.”
Shea Theodore celebrates his goal during overtime June 6. NHLI via Getty Images
Almost overlooked was the four-point night by Vegas’ Mitch Marner, who also produced the fastest hat trick in Cup Final history.
The Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead. The teams take two days off before meeting in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Teams with a 2-1 series lead went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
Carolina had been 6-0 in overtime this postseason. The Hurricanes were trying to become the first team to win after trailing by at least four goals in the third period, but now clubs in that situation are 0-109.
“We just left our foot off the gas,” Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. “I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I liked the resiliency out of our group. I liked the way we started that second overtime, and I felt like we were more on our toes.”
This was the 10th time the first three games of a Cup Final were decided by a point. The last time was in 2016 between Pittsburgh and San Jose.
The Golden Knights seemed to have it in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest three in a Cup Final game.
Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to force overtime.
“I love that we feel like we can come back from anything, but you can’t put yourself in a hole like we did,” Martinook said. “The second period, for them to come out like that and take total control of the game, it’s something that can’t happen, especially this time.”
Marner’s scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the second period, and he had four points in the period. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl’s goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final was in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Jordan Staal celebrates his goal during the Hurricanes’ June 6 loss. NHLI via Getty Images
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Bussi, who made 18 saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Carolina also rallied without forward and former Golden Knight William Carrier, who had an upper-body injury in the second period.
Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 29 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn’t return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas’ best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Theodore.
Jun 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) makes a save on a penalty shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) during the third period in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
“In this town, your luck can change just that quickly.“
I was inside the Lenovo Center after that abysmal second period of Thursday night. How could we feel any worse after that period?
Then here comes the second period of Game 3.
Time to flush it. Reset. What can the Carolina Hurricanes do to prepare for Game 4?
A big save and some hustle changed the direction of Saturday night. And hopefully the series.
Is this the first time that a double overtime loss was not heartbreaking?
Carolina lost 5-4 Saturday night, but the tenacity of this team has the Caniacs hopeful.
The game started tight and stayed that way throughout the first period. The Canes had the standard lines at the start of the game, but switched them to the combinations of the third period of Game 2 soon after the start of the game.
The first scoring chance came at the 13-minute mark. Seth Jarvis, skating with Jordan Staal and Nikolaj Ehlers, found the Captain behind the Vegas defense on a transition rush. Jarvis put it right on Staal’s stick, and the redirect went right into Carter Hart’s breadbasket.
Jalen Chatfield left the bench with about five minutes left with an apparent wrist injury after his stick got wedged against the boards and a Golden Knights player.
The next Grade A for Carolina was a K’Andre Miller headman pass to Jarvis. He created space, dangled the puck, and put one right off the mask of Hart. It was clear from that play that Jarvis had gotten his confidence back.
Chatfield returned to the ice just as William Carrier went back to the locker room. After a hit on Vegas, Carrier was holding his elbow in discomfort.
Near the end of the period, another great scoring chance started with a great defensive play by Miller. After breaking up a Vegas pass, he got up to 20 miles an hour on the right wing to put an uncontested backhander on Hart.
The Golden Knights had zero shots on goal for the last 15:13 of the first. The Hurricanes were able to control more possession as the period went on, closing with a +7 in Corsi as the first period ended.
The game completely flipped in the second.
Just 36 seconds into the period, Carolina pinched on Brett Howden, but he was able to chip it to a streaking Mark Stone, who put it past Frederik Andersen on a breakaway.
After a challenge by the Canes, it was determined that Howden was offside and the goal was removed.
In what would be the last sustained offensive play by the Hurricanes in the period, Carolina was able to get a couple of good chances after the Vegas goal was waved off, including Taylor Hall all alone in the high slot.
Just a couple of minutes later, a bounce off the end boards led to a Jack Eichel goal. The Canes challenged again, and it was determined that Ivan Barbashev interfered with Andersen by colliding with his head in the crease. Another Vegas goal was waved off.
After that disallowed goal, the Golden Knights cranked the pressure to 11 and never let up.
At the 9:44 mark, the Hurricanes had an awful penalty for too many men on the ice. This was not one of those bench infractions where the puck gets hit near the bench as the players are making a change. All six players were down the ice, a glimpse of how the Canes were starting to overplay and be out of position.
Just 10 seconds into the penalty, Vegas made Carolina pay. Jaccob Slavin pressured the defender, and Chatfield did not collapse into the slot, leaving Tomas Hertl wide open above the crease for an easy one-timer.
Just 16 seconds later, a blind pass by Mitch Marner to the slot bounced off Sean Walker’s stick and into the back of the net.
And just like that, the Canes were officially down 2-0.
After this point, Carolina stopped skating for the puck and stopped putting pressure on Vegas. The Canes were reaching, coasting, and frankly, stopped hustling.
With five and a half minutes left in the second, the Hurricanes failed to clear and ended up falling all over themselves. Marner gathered the loose puck, was alone in the slot, and deked Andersen out of his skates for his second goal of the night.
Andersen came up big on a breakaway at the 3:26 mark due to the Canes pressing and overplaying the puck. But just 20 seconds later, Marner ripped a slapshot from the top of the circle and beat Andersen blocker side for the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
Brandon Bussi relieved Andersen to start the third period. Bussi had not seen the ice since a win against the New York Islanders on April 14.
Soon after the start of the period, the Canes announced Carrier would not return to the game due to an upper-body injury, likely his arm or elbow, sustained during a hit in the first.
Just three minutes into the third, Carolina had its first chance on the power play. Only 45 seconds elapsed until Marner had a shorthanded breakaway, and Sebastian Aho had to chop away to negate the chance.
Marner was awarded a penalty shot. Bussi was patient and denied Marner’s golden chance for his fourth goal of the game.
After that terrific save, Bussi and the Canes settled down. Carolina started doing the small things, blocking shots and getting man-to-man pressure, and it culminated with the Hurricanes finally being rewarded.
Jarvis outplayed the Vegas defender in the corner, got the puck to Jordan Martinook, and his patience against Hart got the Hurricanes on the board.
Just 26 seconds later, Aho won an individual battle and found a streaking Taylor Hall in the middle of the ice for the second Carolina goal of the game.
And 13 seconds after that, the Hurricanes scored again. Off the faceoff, Eric Robinson hustled to gather the puck, got it to Slavin, and Staal tipped it in to tie the game.
The Canes scored the fastest three goals in Stanley Cup Final history, tallying three in just 39 seconds.
And all of a sudden, there was a new game in Las Vegas.
With eight minutes to go, Jarvis clipped the puck out of a play, and after a conference by the referees and linemen, the Golden Knights were on the power play. Carolina got the best chance during that sequence off a hustle play by Staal during a shorthanded attempt.
Bussi stood tall during a burst with under six minutes to play, giving the Canes a chance down a goal.
With just under five minutes to play, the Hurricanes were putting the pressure on the Golden Knights. Noah Hanifin fell into his own goaltender, and Vegas retaliated against the flop with Rasmus Andersson climbing a ladder and tackling Staal from behind. Surprisingly, no penalties were called, and play continued.
Veteran defenseman Shea Theodore lofted the puck out of play with 2:55 left in the third, and the Canes were on the power play.
After Carolina controlled the play in the offensive end, the extra attacker was sent out for the six-on-four advantage after the Canes returned to the Knights’ end of the ice.
A key keep by Aho led to Staal putting it on net, and Andrei Svechnikov pushing it to the back of the net.
A theme of the game was reviews, and the officials huddled to make sure Ehlers did not interfere with Hart. Nic Dowd shoved Ehlers into the back of the net, and another cut-and-dry review ended with the Hurricanes completing one of the most historic third-period comebacks in NHL history.
If you want to be simplistic, the first overtime was split into three stanzas. The Hurricanes came out of the locker room ready, controlling the play for the first third of the game.
Vegas did not register a shot on goal until the 9:53 mark of the period. But once they got going, the Knights put pressure on the Canes and had a couple of great chances.
As the period wound down, Carolina regained momentum. The best chance of the period was a Jarvis tip with 3:30 to go. He had a great feed, but just could not put the puck on net.
The Canes controlled most of the play during the first overtime period, but were outshot 7-6.
From the start of the second overtime, the best plays were by Bussi. Knowing that the Canes were dominating in the faceoff circle, Bussi made an extra effort to cover the puck and slow the game down.
Despite a couple of chances, this game was determined by some puck luck. Just over five minutes into double overtime, an errant Theodore shot bounced off the end boards, was not able to be corralled by Martinook, and deflected off Bussi’s skate into the net.
Down 4-0 heading into the third period, the Hurricanes were down and out. The team did not complete the comeback, but forcing overtime was historic.
Two goals were puck luck, two were defensive collapses, and one was a goalie needing to make a save.
The Hurricanes must take the extra day off to fix two of those, and the other must come from the player between the pipes.
Carolina is back in action on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 8:00 PM on ABC.
The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes has made plenty of NHL history through the first three games.
Vegas leads 2-1 after blowing a four-goal lead but winning Game 3 on Saturday night in double overtime.
Here's a look at Vegas-Carolina by the numbers:
5
Stanley Cup Final series over the past 45 years in which each of the first three games was decided by a goal.
3
Goals scored by Mitch Marner during a 6:10 stretch in Game 3, the fastest hat trick in the final. Montreal’s Maurice Richard had the previous record at 6:21 in 1957.
3
Goals scored by Carolina in 39 seconds, the fastest by a team in the final. The previous record was three in 56 seconds by the Canadiens in 1954.
10
Goals by Marner in 19 games during this run with Vegas after scoring 13 in his first 70 playoff games with Toronto.
49
Shifts skated by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb in Game 3 for a total of 35:47, two days after taking a puck to the face off an 87.3 mph shot from Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers.
45
Years since more goals were scored in the first three games of a final. Vegas and Carolina combined for 28, the most since the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars scored 30 in Games 1-3 in 1981.
4
Points in the second period of Game 3 for Marner, the most in a game in the final since Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. That series was not completed and the Stanley Cup not awarded because of the Spanish flu pandemic.
1
Year to the date since the last time a Cup final game went to double overtime. Florida beat Edmonton in Game 2 in 2025 on Brad Marchand's goal on the way to being back-to-back champions.
1
Loss in overtime this playoffs for the Hurricanes, who won their previous six. Carolina also fell to 6-1 on the road.
Jun 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) and center William Karlsson (71) celebrates a goal by defenseman Shea Theodore (not pictured) against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second overtime in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Shea Theodore scored at 5:38 of the second overtime, avoiding what could have been a potentially devastating loss for the Golden Knights after they blew a four-goal lead, and Vegas beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-1 series lead.
Theodore’s goal went in off goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate. It came long after teammate Mitch Marner had the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
The teams take two days off before meeting in Game 4 on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Teams that take a 2-1 series lead in the final went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
Carolina had been 6-0 in overtime this postseason. The Hurricanes were trying to become the first team to win after trailing by at least four goals in the third period, but now clubs in that situation are 0-109.
“We just left our foot off the gas,” Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. “I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I liked the resiliency out of our group. I liked the way we started that second overtime, and I felt like we were more on our toes.”
This was the 10th time the first three games of a Cup Final were decided by a point. The last time was in 2016 between Pittsburgh and San Jose.
The Golden Knights seemed to have it in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest in a Cup Final game.
Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to force overtime.
Marner’s scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the second period, and he had four points in the period. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl’s goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final was in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Bussi, who made 18 saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Carolina also rallied without forward and former Golden Knight William Carrier, who had an upper-body injury in the second period.
Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 29 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
Mark Stone’s goal from the slot 36 seconds into the period was overturned when Brett Howden was determined to be offside after a video review. Another review wiped off Jack Eichel’s rebound goal four minutes in when Rasmus Andersson was called for goalie interference.
It’s not the first time this series went against the Golden Knights.
An unsuccessful video challenge by Vegas coach John Tortorella in Game 2 on Thursday night led to a power-play goal by Staal, whose goal helped the Hurricanes rally to win 4-3 in overtime.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn’t return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas’ best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Theodore.
This series has been, if anything, unpredictable.
Each team blew two-goal leads in the first two games, with the Golden Knights rallying in the opener and Hurricanes responding with a Game 2 victory in overtime.
Shea Theodore was the hero for the Vegas Golden Knights, but his winning tally in double overtime will hardly be remembered as the prettiest goal in NHL history. Theodore fired a shot from near the blue line that rocketed off the end boards. Carolina's Jordan Martinook was unable to corral it and it struck Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi's skate, going into the net.
It was a brutal break for Bussi and the Hurricanes. The rookie goalie was inserted for starter Frederik Andersen to start the third period with the Hurricanes down 4-0.
Carolina erased that 4-0 deficit in the third, thanks in part to a record three goals in just 39 seconds before the 'Canes added a late power play equalizer that sent the game to OT. Bussi stopped the first 18 shots he faced, but Theodore's bizarre goal got through to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 series lead.
Game 3 of this high-scoring series is set for Tuesday, June 9 (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
A Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman looks poised to leave the organization at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
According to Hockey News Hub, which reports a lot of KHL news, defenseman Alexander Alexeyev is set to sign a two-year contract with Salavat of the KHL.
Alexeyev signed with the Penguins as a free agent last July and has spent the entire 2025-26 season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are in the Eastern Conference Final. He finished the AHL regular season with three goals and 12 points in 38 games and has one goal and five points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Hearing Salavat will sign #LetsGoPens defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to a two-year contract. #KHL
Carolina scored three goals in the span of just 39 seconds in the third period, turning a 4-0 Vegas blowout into a 4-3 nail biter. Per Sportsnet Stats, that's the fastest any team has scored three goals in a Stanley Cup Final game.
The prior record was 56 seconds for three goals, set by the Montreal Canadiens during the 1954 Stanley Cup Final.
Jordan Martinook got the scoring started at 7:03. Taylor Hall made it 4-2 at 7:29. At 7:42, captain Jordan Staal scored to make it 4-3.
CAROLINA AGAIN, WHAT IS GOING ON, IT IS NOW A 1 GOAL GAME 😱🚨
Carolina scored a power play goal at 18:18 to erase its 4-0 deficit, sending Game 3 to overtime. Unfortunately for the 'Canes, their historic comeback bid fell short as they lost in double overtime.
