{"id":64117,"date":"2026-05-09T03:23:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T07:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/marners-three-goals-push-vegas-past-anaheim-in-western-conference-semifinals\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T03:23:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T07:23:32","slug":"marners-three-goals-push-vegas-past-anaheim-in-western-conference-semifinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/marners-three-goals-push-vegas-past-anaheim-in-western-conference-semifinals\/","title":{"rendered":"Marner’s Three Goals Push Vegas Past Anaheim in Western Conference Semifinals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Mitch Marner delivered a career-defining performance Friday night, recording his first playoff hat trick in a dominant four-point showing that powered the Vegas Golden Knights to a commanding 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup.<\/p>

The win puts Vegas ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series as they look to advance deeper into the postseason.<\/p>

“There’s a lot of work to still go,” Marner said. “It’s always nice to contribute, but we just want to do what we can to try and win hockey games.”<\/p>

Supporting Marner’s explosive offensive display, Shea Theodore and Brett Howden each contributed a goal and assist, while Brayden McNabb also found the back of the net for the Golden Knights. Goaltender Carter Hart was stellar between the pipes, turning away 31 shots to secure the victory.<\/p>

Vegas coach John Tortorella was pleased with his team’s performance after two challenging games to start the series.<\/p>

“I thought we entered the series tonight,” Tortorella said.<\/p>

The Golden Knights will attempt to seize control of the series when they face off against Anaheim in Game 4 on Sunday.<\/p>

For the Ducks, Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider managed to light the lamp in the losing effort. Anaheim’s goaltending struggled early, as starter Lukas Dostal was pulled after allowing three goals on just eight shots in the opening period. Relief goalie Ville Husso performed better, making 17 saves on 19 attempts.<\/p>

Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville acknowledged his team needs to elevate their play moving forward.<\/p>

“I think there’s a lesson to take out of today’s game,” Quenneville said. “It’s only gonna get harder every single game, not gonna get any easier. So let’s get ready to go to war.<\/p>

“They played like an experienced bunch and they know what’s necessary as you progress in a series. They got our attention.”<\/p>

Vegas wasted no time establishing control after offensive struggles in the series opener. Theodore struck first, joining a rush and converting from the slot just 66 seconds into the contest.<\/p>

McNabb extended the lead to 2-0 with a short-handed marker at the 12:13 mark, beating Dostal from the left faceoff circle after collecting a drop pass from Marner. The goal marked Vegas’s third short-handed tally of the playoffs.<\/p>

Marner capped off a dominant first period with a power-play goal, cleaning up a loose puck beside the net with just 4.6 seconds left on the clock to make it 3-0.<\/p>

The second period belonged to Marner as well. He netted his second goal near the midway point when Theodore found him with a perfect pass as he drove to the net, allowing him to tuck the puck inside the post.<\/p>

Marner’s hat trick was completed when his sharp-angle attempt found its way past Husso with 2:04 remaining in the middle frame.<\/p>

Anaheim finally broke through in the third period when Sennecke pushed a loose puck across the goal line at 6:30. Kreider added another Ducks goal with 4:41 left, firing quickly from the low slot to cut the deficit to 5-2.<\/p>

Howden sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final two minutes of play.<\/p>

The triumph came with a concerning development for Vegas, as captain Mark Stone exited the game after the first period with an apparent injury suffered while backchecking. Stone did not return for the remainder of the contest.<\/p>

Tortorella offered no details about Stone’s condition following the game.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mitch Marner scored his first playoff hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the Anaheim Ducks 6-2 in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series. The victory gives Vegas a 2-1 series lead heading into Sunday’s Game 4 in Anaheim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778311412151.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-gG9","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67159,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vegas-golden-knights-advance-to-fifth-conference-final-in-nine-seasons\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":0},"title":"Vegas Golden Knights Advance to Fifth Conference Final in Nine Seasons","author":"Admin","date":"May 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Las Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 to advance to their fifth Western Conference final since joining the NHL in 2017. The team has won 14 playoff series since their debut, more than any other NHL franchise in that span.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778856683051.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778856683051.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778856683051.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778856683051.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61873,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/disputed-icing-call-helps-vegas-beat-anaheim-3-1-in-playoff-opener\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":1},"title":"Disputed Icing Call Helps Vegas Beat Anaheim 3-1 in Playoff Opener","author":"Admin","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ivan Barbashev netted the decisive goal with under five minutes left after officials controversially waved off an icing call, giving Vegas a 3-1 win over Anaheim in Game 1. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville strongly disagreed with the non-call that led to the game-winning sequence.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777965887495.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67341,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vegas-golden-knights-lose-draft-pick-for-breaking-nhl-media-rules\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":2},"title":"Vegas Golden Knights Lose Draft Pick for Breaking NHL Media Rules","author":"Admin","date":"May 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Vegas Golden Knights must give up a second-round draft pick in 2026 after breaking NHL media requirements following their playoff win. The team's head coach was also fined $100,000 for not speaking with reporters after the game.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778883719045.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":75239,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/marners-trade-decision-shaped-stanley-cup-final-matchup\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":3},"title":"Marner’s Trade Decision Shaped Stanley Cup Final Matchup","author":"Admin","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Mitch Marner's choice to join Vegas instead of Carolina in early 2025 triggered a series of moves that led both teams to the Stanley Cup Final. The decision created a domino effect of trades that transformed both franchises' rosters for their championship showdown.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780360688054.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780360688054.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780360688054.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780360688054.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60822,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vegas-golden-knights-advance-to-second-round-after-defeating-utah-mammoth\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":4},"title":"Vegas Golden Knights Advance to Second Round After Defeating Utah Mammoth","author":"Admin","date":"May 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Vegas Golden Knights secured their spot in the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Utah Mammoth 5-1 in Game 6. Under coach John Tortorella's leadership, Vegas completed a remarkable turnaround from struggling for playoff position to winning their division title.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777733490749.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777733490749.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777733490749.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777733490749.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27539,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vegas-golden-knights-missing-5-olympic-stars-in-nhl-return-game\/","url_meta":{"origin":64117,"position":5},"title":"Vegas Golden Knights Missing 5 Olympic Stars in NHL Return Game","author":"Admin","date":"February 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Vegas Golden Knights returned to NHL action Wednesday night without five key players who competed in the Olympic gold medal game. The team faced the Los Angeles Kings while missing top scorers and defensemen who helped Team USA and Canada battle for Olympic gold.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772073143208.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772073143208.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772073143208.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772073143208.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}