Golden Knights beat Hurricanes 5-4 in 2OT in Game 3 after blowing 4-goal lead

HockeyGolden Knights beat Hurricanes 5-4 in 2OT in Game 3 after blowing 4-goal leadShea Theodore scored at 5:38 of double overtime, avoiding what could have been a potentially devastating loss for the Golden Knights after they blew a four-goal lead.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner celebrates with defenseman Shea Theodore after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.Lucas Peltier / Imagn ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 7, 2026, 12:44 PM EDTBy The Associated PressA 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.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.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...