Golden Knights Survive Historic Game 3 Chaos to Take Stanley Cup Final Lead

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final was a historic matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, and ultimately it took two overtimes, but the Golden Knights won 5-4 to take a 2-1 series lead.

But as incredible as the result was and as intense as the extra periods were, the real chaos and storyline of this one was the way the game even got to overtime.

It was a scoreless game entering the second period, but in that second frame, the Golden Knights had a dominant offensive showing, scoring four goals to take a 4-0 lead into the third period. Mitch Marner was at the center of that, recording a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final performance that immediately put this game into the history books.

And just when everyone thought Carolina was dead, the Hurricanes scored four unanswered goals of their own in the third period. So ultimately, it was a 0-0 first period, a 4-0 second period by Vegas, followed by a 4-0 third period by Carolina, and then it took two overtimes to get that fifth goal.

It was the Golden Knights who scored that fifth goal, taking a commanding series lead at home in front of their own crowd in Vegas. It was an epic finish and one of the most entertaining games of the entire season.

That's what makes Game 4 so pivotal now. It will again be in Vegas, and Carolina either ties the series at 2-2 and regains control heading back home, or the Golden Knights go up 3-1 and put themselves in a spot where the series would feel all but over.

Game 3 was one for the books, and now the pressure shifts squarely onto Carolina to answer.