Marner hat-trick gives Golden Knights 2-1 series lead over Ducks in convincing fashion

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vegas-golden-knights/fTT0TsUg/"]Golden Knights[/a], who lost Game 2 a couple nights prior, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/anaheim-ducks-4CM4ojpD/vegas-golden-knights-fTT0TsUg/?mid=SQuLdzWO"]took the lead just 66 seconds into the contest[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eichel-jack/roOYYdOm/"]Jack Eichel[/a] found an open Shea [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/theodore-shea/zwr54Xsd/"]Theodore[/a] with a cross-ice pass. The shot from the latter found its way into the back of the net to give the guests an early lead.[/p][embed guid="c65f5119-42cf-4caf-b18c-bf91017565e2" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052930948585373967?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Power plays proved to play a key role in the first frame, with two of the penalties going the way of Vegas and one to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/anaheim-ducks/4CM4ojpD/"]Anaheim[/a]. The former were able to kill the first one successfully, but the other one working to their benefit.[/p][p]That was because [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marner-mitchell/Agmv3YoI/"]Mitch Marner[/a] stole the puck and raced the other way. After holding the play, he got some help from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcnabb-brayden/2V8pjAjF/"]Brayden McNabb[/a], who took it and sent it past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dostal-lukas/vRjSW5ZF/"]Lukas Dostal[/a] to double the lead for the Golden Knights.[/p][embed guid="3207f5df-e567-4ff0-97c0-8dfb7a8c8dfc" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052935693643448369?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Although the Ducks created more chances in the opening period, they failed to make the most of them. [/p][p]Things got worse for the home fans when an elbowing call was given on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lacombe-jackson/WGymA2rC/"]Jackson LaCombe[/a]. On the resulting power play just as the period was coming to an end, Marner snuck in to get his stick on the puck and fire it home from close range.[/p][embed guid="216d5891-c773-407e-b45d-a808985dd780" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052939614269092173?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Ducks changed goaltenders after the first period, as Dostal had given up three goals on just eight shots. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/husso-ville/tOY8vzno/"]Ville Husso[/a] entered the game looking to keep out the Golden Knights.[/p][p]It took Vegas until the 9:19 mark of the second to get their fourth through some nice passing. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/howden-brett/SjH2nDdA/"]Brett Howden[/a] played a pass to Theodore, who in turn found Marner right in front of the goal. The former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-maple-leafs/ShE7Z8G3/"]Toronto Maple Leaf[/a] was again able to finish his chance from a few feet away.[/p][embed guid="a9aa7d90-0f00-4116-959c-c38ecf90b416" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052948511176483071?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Marner was not done there though. Towards the end of the second, he found a way to get the puck past Husso's near post and in to complete a natural hat-trick. The 29-year-old celebrated his first three-goal haul of the playoffs in doing so.[/p][embed guid="2d50f682-def0-4484-8b26-bfa9b54b5ad1" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052954959289729388?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The third period was in essence a formality, although the Ducks did get on the board via [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sennecke-beckett/h0xCfGX6/"]Beckett Sennecke[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kreider-chris/YgaS1P47/"]Chris Kreider[/a] added a second with a little less than five minutes to go to give the home fans something to cheer about. [/p][p]Of course, that was not enough for Anaheim, with Howden adding an empty net goal near the end to complete the scoring.[/p][p]The teams stay in Anaheim for Game 4, with the pressure mounting on the Ducks as they now head into the game down 2-1 in the series.[/p][embed guid="63ff6b27-d57d-47b7-842e-9535a7b1ae78" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwzDt8BLKg4" social-type="youtube" /]