* Jonathan Marchessault scored the first of three Golden Knights goals in the opening 7:10 as Vegas blanked Dallas to take a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final.
* Adin Hill had his first career playoff shutout and became the second Golden Knights goaltender with a five-game winning streak this postseason, joining Laurent Brossoit.
* The Panthers can sweep the Hurricanes and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 27 years Wednesday.
VEGAS RACES TO 3-0 LEAD IN GAME 3 EN ROUTE TO 3-0 LEAD IN SERIES
Jonathan Marchessault, Ivan Barbashev and William Carrier each scored a goal in the opening 7:10 of the first period as the Golden Knights cruised to a victory in Game 3 and took a 3-0 series lead against the Stars.
* Marchessault (1:11) scored his second career goal in the opening 90 seconds of a Conference Finals/Semifinals contest (also 0:35 in Game 3 of 2018 CF). He became the fifth player in NHL history with multiple goals in the opening 90 seconds during games taking place in the round before the Stanley Cup Final, joining Mark Messier (Game 2 of 1987 CF & Game 2 of 1994 CF), Joe Mullen (Game 3 of 1986 CF & Game 1 of 1991 CF), Jean Beliveau (Game 3 of 1968 SF & Game 4 of 1971 SF) and Ted Lindsay (Game 5 of 1953 SF & Game 1 of 1957 SF).
* Vegas moved within one win of its second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history (also 2018). The Golden Knights would be the eighth franchise in League history to reach the Final multiple times within their first six NHL seasons, following the Oilers (3x), Blues (3x), Rangers (3x), Bruins (3x), original Ottawa Senators (3x), Montreal Maroons (2x) and Toronto Arenas/St. Patricks (2x).
HILL HAS FIRST CAREER PLAYOFF SHUTOUT, EXTENDS WINNING STREAK
Adin Hill turned aside all 34 shots he faced to record his first career playoff shutout and extend his winning streak to five contests dating to Game 5 of the Second Round (1.98 GAA, .942 SV%, 1 SO).
* Hill became the first goaltender with a five-game winning streak during his first career postseason appearance since Jacob Markstrom (5-0 in 2020). The only NHL netminders with a longer run during the same playoff year in which they made their postseason debut are Bill Durnan (8-0 in 1944), Antti Niemi (7-0 in 2010), Cam Ward (7-0 in 2006), Ilya Bryzgalov (6-0 in 2006), Vesa Toskala (6-0 in 2006) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (6-0 in 2003).
QUICK CLICKS
* Craig Conroy named general manager of Flames
* Aleksander Barkov expected back for Panthers in Game 4 against Hurricanes
* Hurricanes must solve Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers to avoid elimination in Game 4
* Brady Tkachuk chugs out of Brooks Koepka‘s PGA Championship trophy
* CHEL Intel: North American Championship Review — Issue No. 16
FLORIDA LOOKS TO SWEEP CAROLINA, CLINCH SECOND STANLEY CUP FINAL BERTH
The Panthers can clinch their second Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history and first since 1996 when they take a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 against the Hurricanes on Wednesday. The contest is available on TNT in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.
* Florida holds its third 3-0 series lead in franchise history (also 2023 R2 & 1996 CQF) and can sweep an opponent for the first time, with each of the two previous rounds requiring five contests. The Panthers can become the third franchise in NHL history to complete their first-ever best-of-seven sweep during the round before the Final, following the Oilers in the 1983 Conference Finals and Rangers in the 1972 Semifinals.
* Florida recording a series-clinching win on Wednesday would mark the third instance in the League’s expansion era (since 1967-68) where the lowest-seeded team reached the Stanley Cup Final, following Montreal in 2021 and Nashville in 2017. The Panthers would be the first club in NHL history to enter the postseason as the lowest-seeded team and sweep a best-of-seven series to clinch a berth in the Final.
* Florida is 10-1 in its last 11 contests dating to an overtime victory in Game 5 of the First Round, which kickstarted the Panthers’ rally from a 3-1 series deficit against the 65-win Bruins. Florida can become the fourth different franchise to enter the Stanley Cup Final after earning wins in 11 of its last 12 contests that postseason, following Montreal in 1993, Chicago in 1992 as well as Edmonton in 1987 and 1983.
* Carolina faces the task of becoming the fifth franchise in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to win a series after facing a 3-0 deficit and the first to do so during the round before the Final. Click here to read the May 24 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates, which featured more team and player notes heading into Game 4.
