Samwise NHL & Hockey Newsletter
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Golden Knights Survive Double Overtime to Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Hurricanes
Shea Theodore’s shot caromed off the end boards and deflected in off goalie Brandon Bussi’s skate at 5:38 of double overtime Saturday, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas now leads the best-of-seven series two games to one. The win came despite the Golden Knights surrendering a four-goal lead in the third period, with the Hurricanes forcing overtime before Theodore’s fortuitous bounce ended the longest game of the series. Marner led Vegas with a hat trick and four points, while Andrei Svechnikov tied it late for Carolina.
Sources: NHL.com
Marner Sets Fastest Hat Trick in Stanley Cup Final History, Breaks 69-Year Record
Mitch Marner scored three goals in six minutes and ten seconds in the second period of Game 3 on Saturday, recording the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history. The Vegas Golden Knights forward eclipsed the previous mark of six minutes and twenty-one seconds set by Maurice (Rocket) Richard in 1957. Marner’s natural hat trick gave Vegas a four-goal lead before Carolina’s third-period rally. The 29-year-old also became only the second player in Final history to score a natural hat trick in a single period, joining Ted Lindsay in 1955. Marner leads all 2026 playoff scorers with 28 points.
Sources: NHL.com
Hurricanes’ Three Goals in 39 Seconds Sets Final Record, But Vegas Survives in 2OT
Carolina engineered the largest third-period comeback in Stanley Cup Final history during Game 3 Saturday, erasing a four-goal deficit before ultimately falling 5-4 in double overtime. Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Staal scored within thirty-nine seconds of each other in the third period — the three fastest goals in Final history — cutting the Vegas lead to 4-3. Andrei Svechnikov then tied the game at 4-4 on a rebound with under two minutes remaining and the goalie pulled on a power play. Despite the remarkable comeback, Shea Theodore’s double-overtime winner denied Carolina a second consecutive road victory.
Sources: ESPN
Andersen Pulled in Game 3, Hurricanes’ Game 4 Goaltending Start Remains Undisclosed
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has not revealed his Game 4 starting goaltender after Frederik Andersen was replaced by Brandon Bussi to open the third period of Game 3 on Saturday. Andersen, who had started all sixteen playoff games, allowed four goals on fourteen second-period shots before being pulled. Bussi made eighteen saves on nineteen shots in relief, allowing the Hurricanes’ historic comeback before surrendering the double-overtime winner on a deflection. Brind’Amour confirmed Monday that he has made a decision on the starter for Tuesday’s game at T-Mobile Arena but declined to announce it publicly.
Sources: NHL.com
Game 4 Tonight: Golden Knights Can Push Hurricanes to Brink of Elimination
The Vegas Golden Knights host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET, ABC), with Vegas holding a two-games-to-one series lead. A Golden Knights win would push Carolina to the brink of elimination; teams leading three-to-one in the Final hold a 38-1 all-time record. Carolina’s goaltending situation remains unresolved, with Brind’Amour declining to confirm whether Andersen or Bussi will start. Mitch Marner, leading all 2026 playoff scorers with 28 points, is the series’ dominant presence. Two of three games have gone to overtime, with Saturday’s double-overtime finish setting multiple Final records.
Sources: NHL.com
McKenna Tops VO2 Test at NHL Scouting Combine Ahead of June 26 Draft in Buffalo
Gavin McKenna stood out at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, leading all prospects in the VO2 Max Aerobic Fitness test with a score of 65.0 and finishing in the top eight in four testing categories overall. The Penn State center, ranked first among North American skaters heading into the June 26-27 draft, measured at five-feet eleven-and-a-quarter inches and 170 pounds. Other notable performers included Ilia Morozov of Miami University, who finished top ten in six events, and OHL prospects Pierce Mbuyi and Cole Zurawski. The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks hold the top two picks following the May 5 lottery.
Sources: The Hockey News
Utah Mammoth Sign KHL Forward Vadim Moroz to Two-Year Entry-Level Contract
The Utah Mammoth signed Belarusian forward Vadim Moroz to a two-year entry-level contract on Sunday, the club announced. The deal carries a cap hit of approximately $1.01 million per season and runs through the 2027-28 campaign. Moroz, 22, spent four seasons with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, recording 29 points in 54 games in 2025-26 and setting a franchise record with 44 points by a player under 23 the prior season. Utah selected Moroz in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He is expected to begin in the AHL before competing for NHL minutes with the Mammoth.
Sources: Pro Hockey Rumors
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Eastern Conference
Conference Finals (completed)
Carolina vs. Montreal — Hurricanes win 4–1
Stanley Cup Final
Carolina vs. Vegas — Golden Knights lead 2–1
Western Conference
Conference Finals (completed)
Vegas vs. Colorado — Golden Knights win 4–0
Stanley Cup Final
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes — Golden Knights lead 2–1 (Game 4 tonight, 8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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