GOLDEN KNIGHTS BEAT HURRICANES IN 2OT'S, TAKE 2-1 STANLEY CUP LEAD

June 6 (UPI) -- Paralyzing tension stuffed T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, as the Vegas Golden Knights weathered a chaotic comeback and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in double overtime in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The typically stingy Hurricanes held the Golden Knights to just two shots in a scoreless first period at T-Mobile Arena. Forward Mitch Marner then scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history in the second, steering the home team in firm control. But the visitors surged for four fourth-period scores to force overtime.

A lucky bounce for the Golden Knights ended Game 3, as a Shea Theodore shot ricocheted off a wall and net minder Brandon Bussi's pad and landed in the goal for the game-winner in the second bonus period.

"We just let our foot off the gas," Theodore said on the ABC broadcast. "I think we have to be sharper in the third, but I like the resiliency of the group."

With the win, the Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series. They will host Game 4 on Tuesday at home.

The Golden Knights outhit the Hurricanes 66-42. They held a 35-33 lead in shots and 30-14 advantage in blocks.

Marner registered an assist, in addition to his three goals in a record 6-minute, 12-second span. Fellow forward Tomas Hertle and Theodore logged a goal and assist apiece.

The Hurricanes trailed 4-0 when forward Jordan Martinook scored their first goal with 12:57 remaining. That score sparked the fastest string of three goals by one team in Stanley Cup Final history, with the Hurricanes finding the net two more times over a 39-second period.

Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal added the next two Hurricanes goals, cutting the deficit to one. Fellow forward Andrei Svechnikov scored the Hurricanes' final goal with 1:42 remaining in regulation.

"That can't happen again," Theodore said. "Just the bounces. Defensively we have to be sharper. ... I was fortunate to get a bounce there in overtime."

The Golden Knights had two goals disallowed early in the second period. Hertl broke the deadlock 10:26 into the frame, teeing up Marner's melee on the Hurricanes net.

Marner beat goalie Frederik Anderson for his first goal just 16 seconds later for a 2-0 Golden Knights lead. He found the net again with 5:28 remaining in the period for the Golden Knights' third goal.

Marner completed his hat trick with slap shot less than two minutes later.

The Hurricanes pulled Anderson in exchange for Bussi to start the third period. Martinook started their rabid rally by beating Carter Hart for the first time of Game 3. Hall followed with the Hurricanes' second goal 26 seconds later. Jordan Staal beat Hart for a third Hurricanes score with 12:18 remaining.

Svechnikov tied the score with a fourth consecutive score with 102 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither Alex Butlerteam scored in the resulting overtime period, triggering the second bonus period.

Defenseman Brayden McNabb slid the puck across the blue line for a Theodore one-timer attempt on the game's final sequence. The blast sailed wide of the net, but drilled the back boards, found the bottom of Bussi's left pad and flipped into the net, ending the thriller.

The Golden Knights will host the Hurricanes in Game 4 at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Las Vegas. Game 5 will be Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.

- Alex Butler

CANES SHUTOUT CANADIENS | LEAD SERIES 3-1 | EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL | GAME 4 | NHL FINALS 2026

 

PANTHERS PUT AWAY BRUINS IN GAME 6 ON GUSTAV FORSLING'S LATE GOAL

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 It took a grueling six-game effort and withstanding the Boston Bruins' attempted comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to get the job done, but the Florida Panthers found a way to advance into the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year.

Gustav Forsling's rebound goal with 1:33 left in regulation lifted the Panthers to a 2-1, series-clinching win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday in Boston.

According to center Anton Lundell, the Panthers will be on a high entering best-of-seven conference finals against the Rangers, a set that will begin on Wednesday in New York.

"I think we're a very confident group. We're trying to keep it loose and enjoy the moment," Lundell said. "Everyone really stepped up at the right time. (Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky) was there when we needed him, made a couple huge saves that kept us in it."

Lundell had his initial shot stopped by Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman (26 saves), but from the left side, Forsling slipped the loose puck inside the near post for the deciding goal.

"I'm not usually the guy that scores the game-winning goal," Forsling said. "It's fun to score and help the team, but I'll stick to defense."

Lundell finished with a goal and an assist after scoring the tying tally at 12:44 of the second, helping the Panthers to their sixth straight playoff win at TD Garden.

Pavel Zacha scored Boston's lone goal.

Bobrovsky made 22 saves for Florida, including nine in the third period.

After a 5-1 win in Game 1 of the series, the Bruins scored no more than two goals in any game.

"I didn't sense frustration, but the lack of our ability to score in the playoffs in general (was a key factor)," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "You can't win every game 2-1."

The Panthers, however, have appeared comfortable in such situations.

"At our core, we're a pretty good defensive team and we have Sergei Bobrovsky," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "At (a 1-1 score), we're comfortable there."

Bruins captain Brad Marchand returned to the lineup following a two-game absence caused by an upper-body injury, providing what Montgomery called a "huge lift."

After the Bruins were unable to clear a shot blocked by Jake DeBrusk, Lundell picked up a loose puck in the slot and unleashed a dart to beat Swayman and tie the game in the middle frame.

"He's playing a different game now than I've ever seen him play," Maurice said of Lundell, who finished the series with two multi-point efforts in three games.

A roller-coaster first period saw the Bruins post the first four shots on goal before a span of 14:11 without one, but Zacha buried the opening goal -- the first of his 25-game playoff career -- with 52.8 seconds left to make it 1-0.

DeBrusk continued his strong playmaking run with a dish off the neutral-zone wall to spring Zacha for the breakaway, which he brought to his backhand and slipped under the crossbar.

Bobrovsky came up with several key saves in the second period that allowed his Panthers to tie the game, including denying Justin Brazeau's one-timer on the same shift as Lundell's goal.

Florida looked to take a 2-1 lead in the opening minute of the third. Brandon Montour took a slapper from the right point that Swayman initially thought beat him through the five-hole, but the Boston netminder had the puck behind his pads after it clanked off the post.

Bobrovsky made another important stop eight minutes into the final frame, keeping out Charlie McAvoy's driving attempt to the crease.

Neither team could cash in on a power-play attempt late in the third period, which included 22 overlapping seconds of four-on-four action.

- Reuters