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."

'We Just Dug Too Big A Hole': Brandon Bussi, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Andrei Svechnikov, Rod Brind'Amour On Brutal Game 3 LossA stunning four-goal rally forced double overtime, but a cruel bounce sunk Carolina. The Hurricanes process a heartbreaking defeat that leaves no room for error.

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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.

Oh no! WWE star and sports oracle @DanhausenAD has cursed the @Canes! pic.twitter.com/KtBcZoF3dN

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 7, 2026

1. A *Nice* Record

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.

SHEA THEODORE WINS IT FOR VEGAS IN @ENERGIZER DOUBLE OVERTIME TO TAKE A 2-1 LEAD IN THE #STANLEYCUP FINAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zpOANju87a

— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2026

“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.”

The true winner of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is the fans.

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.

Here are the winners and losers of Game 3:

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.”

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.

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.

“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.

And the Canes did not stop there.

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.

Welcome to overtime.

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.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl