Golden Knights survive Hurricanes’ shocking comeback in historic Stanley Cup Final Game 3

LAS VEGAS – Twenty minutes into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the game, the series and the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP all felt like toss-ups.

Twenty minutes later, favorites had emerged.

By the end of the night, we were back to square one.

The Vegas Golden Knights, behind a second-period natural hat trick from Mitch Marner and a double-overtime winner from Shea Theadore, beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Saturday night, securing a 2-1 series lead heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena.

Brind’Amour was darn sure

Two days after Rod Brind’Amour said the one thing he has learned this postseason is you better be “100 percent sure” if you’re going to challenge goals or no-goals due to incidental contact, the Carolina coaching staff was correct in getting two Golden Knights goals overturned in the first four minutes of the second period.

The first one was a no-brainer when Howden preceded the puck into the zone before Stone’s breakaway goal. That offside challenge bailed out a poor step-up by Sean Walker at the blue line, allowing Stone into the zone, then a goal that Andersen should have stopped.

But it’s goalie interference challenges that Brind’Amour said coaches need to be wary of. It’s clear the NHL doesn’t want to overturn goals, but Barbashev nearly took Andersen’s head off while he was in the crease before Eichel’s goal. It led to a super quick video review by referees Chris Rooney and Wes McCauley before Rooney delivered the crowd the bad news.

Had those two goals counted, the Hurricanes would have allowed six goals in the second period.

Late in the third period, Carolina scored the game-tying goal on a play that was eerily similar to the one Vegas scored late in Game 2 that was ruled no goal. Andrei Svechnikov dug the puck out from underneath Jeremy Lauzon, then jammed it over the line. Vegas coach John Tortorella looked closely at it on his iPad on the bench, but chose not to challenge it. – Russo and Granger

McNabb’s return

Only two days after taking an 87 mph slap shot to the face, Brayden McNabb showed up to play. With stitches in his nose and a full cage on his helmet, McNabb didn’t miss a beat for the Golden Knights.

The veteran defenseman was standing in front of the Vegas net midway through the first period of Game 2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, when a hard shot by Nikolaj Ehlers snuck underneath his visor. He dropped to the ice before immediately skating off and missed the remainder of that game.

Saturday night in Las Vegas, McNabb led all Vegas skaters in ice time in the first period and had made an excellent defensive play on an early net drive by Seth Jarvis. In the second period, he held the puck in the zone at the blue line and sent it to Marner, who danced around Andersen for his second goal of the night. It was McNabb’s seventh assist of the playoffs.

McNabb played more than 30 minutes and landed one of his patented hip checks late in the game, stunning Taylor Hall with a massive hit as he entered the Vegas zone. He may have the cage on his helmet, but he didn’t look any different on the ice. – Granger

Carrier, Hanifin injured

Two days between Games 3 and 4 may have come at a good time for Carolina’s William Carrier and Vegas’ Noah Hanifin.

Carrier, the former Golden Knight, was hurt in the first period when he checked Lauzon into the side wall. It was a pretty innocuous check, but Carrier, after hunching over on the bench, ultimately left. While he returned in the second period, he finally left the bench for good when the game got out of hand after Marner gave Vegas a 3-0 lead.

Also in the second period, Hanifin was hurt when he was checked by Jordan Martinook. The defenseman left down the tunnel holding his right arm, but returned in the third period. – Russo