Strange Golden Cinema: VGK Squander Four-Goal Lead Against Carolina In Third Period Before Theodore Scores Winner In Second Overtime In SCF Game 3; VGK Lead Series, 2-1
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne and Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — There is nothing easy in this wild, crazy, strange and unpredictable Stanley Cup championship round between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Knights blew a 4-0 lead in the third period before winning this endless game on a Shea Theodore goal in a second overtime. Theodore’s goal was a shot that went wide of the net, but the puck caromed off the back board and bounced off the back of the Hurricanes netminder for the winning double OT goal.
Carolina had scored three goals in only 39 seconds midway through period three before tying the game after pulling its goalie, sending Game 3 into extra time.
If you think you can analyze and predict this stuff, the Hockey Gods would like to have a word with you. They showed everyone they are in charge of what has been a chaotic and fantastically entertaining three games so far.
Why would be Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena Tuesday be any different?
“It was kind of a weird game,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said at his postgame presser. “I knew we would get going. At least we made it a game.”
The disappointed Hurricanes coach put it this way, “We dug just too big of a hole.”
This was the final in one of the most bizarre games you will ever see in the NHL: Vegas 5 Carolina 4 in double overtime.
VGK coach John “Torts” Tortorella said he has been around a lot of playoff games and hasn’t experienced a game like this one Saturday night.
Even with VGK leading, 4-0, in the second period, Tortorella said “We need to score, we need another one.”
VGK leads the Cup championship series, two games to one, and are only two wins away from claiming their second Stanley Cup trophy in four seasons..
Vegas played arguably its best period of the season when the VGK scored four in the second stanza — including a Mitch Marner natural hat trick — before Carolina ripped off four straight goals in the third period. Amazingly enough, the VGK could have had six goals but the officials waved off two of the goals for an offside and a goalie interference ruling.
Vegas’ 4-0 lead had evaporated to a 4-4 deadlock in the third when Carolina reeled off a a hat trick of goals in less than a minute and a fourth with less than two minutes left in regulation play.
It was off to overtime in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final here at T-Mobile Arena where a loud and rowdy crowd was announced at 18,233
It’s the second straight OT game for Vegas/Carolina. The Hurricanes won an OT game only two nights ago. It was the first time Carolina lost in overtime this postseason.
And then this endless game stretched into a second overtime before Theodore sent the happy VGK fans home.
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Twice the horn sounded in T-Mobile Arena and Golden Knights fans roared with jubilation in the second period of the Stanley Cup Final Game 3 between VGK and Carolina.
Twice, the officials ruled no goal. First on an offside. Then, goalie interference.
It was midway through the middle stanza of this Cup Final game and the game was still scoreless.
Then the Knights made sure their apparent goals would not be overruled.
Tomas Hertl scored a power play with assist king Jack Eichel providing a helper and then Mitch Marner followed with a goal and the Knights were enjoying a 2-0 advantage later in the middle frame.
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Oh, for good measure, Marner scored again and the Knights led, 3-0, with 5:27 left in the second period. It was his ninth of the playoffs.
The assist on the second Marner goal went to defenseman Brayden McNabb, who wore a metal facemask after absorbing a vicious slap shot to the face only two nights ago Game 2 in Raleigh, NC.
Tortorella said he was blown away by McNabb’s guts to come back and play with a cage mask.
Theodore said defensive partner, McNabb, known as the “Nabber,” is a pleasure to play with.
The second period was a tour de force for the Vegas Golden Knights. They dictated the pace and dominated the flow of the game, scoring six goals but credited with only four.
Marner then completed the natural hat trick with a slapper past Carolina goalie Fredrik Andersen to give VGK a 4-0 lead after two periods.
Carolina made Vegas sweat in the final period. The Hurricanes ripped off three straight goals and a VGK 4-0 lead had shrunk to a single tally at 4-3 midway through the third.
Then in a big pile up in front of the VGK net, Carolina scored the equalizer:
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This wild roller-coaster ride of an NHL championship series resumed at T-Mobile Arena just off the Strip Saturday night here in Sin City.
With both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes teams overcoming 2-0 deficits and each stealing a win in comeback fashion in Games 1 and 2. VGK forward Cole Smith said it comes down to managing the momentum swings through 60 minutes of skating.
The Knights have hosted Stanley Cup Finals in 2018 and 2023, with this season’s arrival is the third Cup Finals appearance in nine years for this high-performing expansion franchise owned by billionaire businessman and wine industry leader Bill Foley.
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Levy Restaurants, the T-Mobile Arena food and bev contractor, hav rolled out three dishes for the Stnley Cup Finals.
Take a look:
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The most unexpected goal-scoring news is the fact that VGK’s Brett Howden has turned into a goal-producing machine with 13 goals in the postseason after a dozen in the regular season.
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