Nikolaj Ehlers

Vegas-Carolina Stanley Cup Final by the numbers through 3 games

The Associated Press

Jun 7, 2026


The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes has made plenty of NHL history through the first three games.

Vegas leads 2-1 after blowing a four-goal lead but winning Game 3 on Saturday night in double overtime.

Here's a look at Vegas-Carolina by the numbers:

Stanley Cup Final series over the past 45 years in which each of the first three games was decided by a goal.

Goals scored by Mitch Marner during a 6:10 stretch in Game 3, the fastest hat trick in the final. Montreal’s Maurice Richard had the previous record at 6:21 in 1957.

Goals scored by Carolina in 39 seconds, the fastest by a team in the final. The previous record was three in 56 seconds by the Canadiens in 1954.

Goals by Marner in 19 games during this run with Vegas after scoring 13 in his first 70 playoff games with Toronto.

Shifts skated by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb in Game 3 for a total of 35:47, two days after taking a puck to the face off an 87.3 mph shot from Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers.

Years since more goals were scored in the first three games of a final. Vegas and Carolina combined for 28, the most since the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars scored 30 in Games 1-3 in 1981.

Points in the second period of Game 3 for Marner, the most in a game in the final since Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. That series was not completed and the Stanley Cup not awarded because of the Spanish flu pandemic.

Year to the date since the last time a Cup final game went to double overtime. Florida beat Edmonton in Game 2 in 2025 on Brad Marchand's goal on the way to being back-to-back champions.

Loss in overtime this playoffs for the Hurricanes, who won their previous six. Carolina also fell to 6-1 on the road.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Central DivisionWLOTLPTSDIFF
55
16
11
121
99
Stars Stars - x
50
20
12
112
53
Wild Wild - x
46
24
12
104
32
43
33
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Blues Blues - e
37
33
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38
34
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Jets Jets - e
35
35
12
82
-29
29
39
14
72
-62
Pacific DivisionWLOTLPTSDIFF
39
26
17
95
15
41
30
11
93
13
Ducks Ducks - x
43
33
6
92
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Kings Kings - x
35
27
20
90
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39
35
8
86
-41
34
37
11
79
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34
39
9
77
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25
49
8
58
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50
23
9
109
47
50
26
6
106
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48
24
10
106
27
45
27
10
100
22
44
27
11
99
32
41
31
10
92
-17
40
38
4
84
-25
32
36
14
78
-46
Metropolitan DivisionWLOTLPTSDIFF
53
22
7
113
56
41
25
16
98
25
43
27
12
98
7
43
30
9
95
19
40
30
12
92
0
43
34
5
91
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42
37
3
87
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39
9
77
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