We are three games into the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, and we’re already preparing to call it one of the all-time greatest.
The Golden Knights took a back-and-forth, high-scoring Game 1. The Hurricanes stole Game 2, rallying from a 0-2 deficit with 10 minutes left for a 4-3 overtime win.
Game 3? Whew, it somehow blew those first two out of the water with historic period after historic period in an eventual 5-4 Golden Knights win in double overtime.
The first period was quiet as Vegas put just two shots on net, but the Golden Knights would explode for a four-goal second. Mitch Marner updated his Conn Smythe resume with a hat trick and an assist in the second period alone. In the third, the Hurricanes rallied from 0-4 with three goals in 39 seconds and a late power-play goal to take it into overtime for the second consecutive game. Ultimately, the game became the third-ever double overtime game in Stanley Cup Final history, because of course it did.
The Hurricanes almost became the first team in Stanley Cup Final history (1-108) to come back from a 0-4 deficit, but Golden Knights OG Shea Theodore came up with the double overtime dagger.
The Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead as the series shifted to their home ice. Sure, it took double overtime, but their resolve during one of the wackiest Stanley Cup Final games in hockey history will be remembered forever.
Before we can even think about Game 4, let’s fully process all that happened in Vegas tonight.
