The first period of Game 3 was relatively boring. It was scoreless with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights trading sleeper blows. Of course, there were disallowed goals in the form of offside and goaltender interference. But that was it.
Then came Tomas Hertl to break the ice. Of course, Mitch Marner assisted on the goal that put Vegas up 1-0. Then, Marner took the reins and scored a goal.
Then, he scored another.
Then, another.
Ladies and gentlemen, what you just heard was the narrative going out of the window from Marner's old flame. All that speculation about the former "Core Four" member not performing in the biggest moments suddenly disappeared. Now? He has inrefutable proof that he shines in the brightest moments, making him one of the league's most clutch performers.
In fact, his performance provided the cushion needed to put a furious Hurricanes comeback out of reach. Three goals, an assist, 10 shots on goal, three hits, and a takeaway were proof that the former Toronto Maple Leafs star can perform when called upon. But those stats are just scratching the surface. Here are the other records he broke in Game 3's electrifying performance.
Mitch Marner has the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history
6:10. That's all it took for Mitch Marner to net the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history. All of this happened in the second period, where Marner even added an assist to his total. On top of that, it was a natural hat trick for the Canadian Olympian.
Marner silenced his Toronto media critics with each passing goal, adding more points to his Conn Smythe case. In fact, those points have significance, marking a record-breaking performance with the Golden Knights.
Mitch Marner has the most playoff points in his first season with his team
By scoring four points in Saturday's double overtime winner, Marner catapulted himself to 28 points. That's the most for a player in his first playoff season, yet that wasn't the only record he broke last night.
Marner broke Jack Eichel's playoff points record of 26, making him the top dog for most playoff points during a Stanley Cup run. Remember that 2023 run where Eichel nearly won the Conn Smythe with that total? Well, it seems that Marner is intent on etching his name in the annals of Golden Knights history forever. Speaking of Conn Smythe...
Marner has become the de facto favorite for the Conn Smythe trophy
Cue the Toronto media seeing this in real time.
Yeah, I know that sentence can be hard to read. But that's the beauty of reality. Mitch Marner has played himself into a Conn Smythe trophy conversation and is leading the pack.
Again, reality can be a cruel mistress for some. That might consist of a team not winning the Stanley Cup since 1967. However, Marner doesn't care since he's only two wins away from doing something he'd never dream of doing in Toronto: hoist Lord Stanley.
