Mitch Marner highlights Vegas’ 4-goal, 2nd period with natural hat trick

Vegas goalie Carter Hart stopped six shots and Carolina’s Brandon Bussi made seven saves in the first overtime. Then, it was Shea Theodore playing the role of hero 5:38 into the second overtime when his shot off the end board caromed off Bussi’s skate and gave Vegas a 2-1 series lead.

Theodore’s goal also prevented Marner’s monumental night from going to waste.

“Obviously, not how you envision the third in a way, but just really happy with how our group responded, just staying calm in the moment, coming back in between periods, or going into overtime there, just having the trust,” Marner said.

It was Carolina’s seventh overtime game of the playoffs, and Vegas’ fifth trip to extra time.

Tomas Hertl broke a scoreless tie midway through the second, after Vegas opened the stanza by having two goals overturned by challenges.

Marner’s first goal came when he gathered a loose puck near the boards and fired a backhander into the crease, where Carolina defenseman Sean Walker accidentally deflected the puck past Frederik Andersen.

Less than four minutes later, Marner gracefully deked around Andersen and slipped the puck into the net with relative ease to make it 3-0.

Then, with a little more than three minutes left in the period, the 10-year veteran blasted a shot from the right circle, triggering throngs of hats being thrown on the ice. It was the fastest natural hat trick in Stanley Cup history at 6:10.

“I think a lot of guys made great plays to set me up in that area,” Marner said. “I think you need five guys in the ice to all be on the same page, and I thought our line did a really good job of that throughout the entire night.”

Marner had a chance for a fourth goal when he was awarded a penalty shot in the third period after being slashed by Sebastian Aho on a breakaway, but was stymied by Bussi.

Marner also assisted on Hertl’s goal. His four points are tied for the most in a single period since 1919.

Marner’s 28 points are the most by any player in NHL history in his first postseason with a new team.

The 29-year-old has 10 goals in 19 playoff games with the Golden Knights. He had 13 goals in 70 playoff games during his nine years with Toronto.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

W.g. Ramirez, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Mitch Marner highlights Vegas’ 4-goal, 2nd period with natural hat trick

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