Game 3's wildest moments: Hat-trick history, Vegas' near-epic collapse

There isn't a city in the world quite like Las Vegas, and after Saturday night, we can safely say there's never been a Stanley Cup Final game like the one we witnessed in the desert between the Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes.

A sleepless opening period gave way to pure mayhem, with the Golden Knights scoring four answered goals in the second period, only for the Hurricanes to match them with four of their own in the third.

The thriller was finally decided by Shea Theodore in overtime to end one of the wildest hockey games we've ever seen.

Here are six of the craziest things we witnessed Saturday.

2 goals negated

With eight goals in regulation, it's hard to believe that a major talking point at one stretch of the game was about a pair of tallies that didn't count. It appeared Mark Stone had broken a 0-0 deadlock shortly into the second period after beating Frederik Andersen on a breakaway. However, a coach's challenge found Brett Howden to be a sliver offside, and the goal came off the board. Less than three minutes later, replay was needed was once again after Jack Eichel found the back of the net. Carolina challenged that Andersen was interfered with and quickly won, keeping things scoreless.

Fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup history

Look away, Toronto Maple Leafs fans: it turns out Mitch Marner can dominate in the playoffs. With an epic three-goal spurt in 6:10 of action during the second period, Marner now holds the record for the quickest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.

The Golden Knights star also assisted on the first goal of the game, giving him four points in one period. That showing makes him the first player since 1919 to hit that number in a single period of a Stanley Cup Final game.

Don't fret, Leafs nation: projected No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna put up one of the best NHL scouting combine performances we saw Saturday.

He could have had 4!

Marner's hat trick was incredible, but he could have had even more if not for Brandon Bussi's brilliance. The Hurricanes backup took over in net down 4-0 to start the third period and was immediately called into action versus the hottest hockey player on the planet. Marner was awarded a penalty shot after getting hacked on a shorthanded breakaway and stood with a chance to make some more history.

According to Sportsnet Stats, no player has scored four straight goals in a Stanley Cup Final game since Newsy Lalonde (surely you remember him) in 1919. Bussi kept it that way, turning Marner aside and giving the Hurricanes a glimmer of hope.

Fastest 3-goal spurt in Stanley Cup Final history

If you spend enough time in Las Vegas, you're bound to witness an absurd streak of some kind, and that's exactly what the Hurricanes ran into during the third period. An outrageous three-goal explosion in just 39 seconds got Carolina back in the contest immediately and set the new all-time record in the Stanley Cup Final.

4 goals in 3rd period

Even with the three-goal blitz, the Hurricanes still found themselves down a goal in the dying seconds, but the dice roll once again came up Carolina. The Golden Knights were hit with a delay of game penalty for a puck over the glass, giving the Hurricanes a power play to find the equalizer - and that's exactly what happened. Andrei Svechnikov stuffed home the fourth unanswered tally with under two minutes to play, sending a hush across the building.

The winner was wacky

While an all-time winning goal would have been thrilling, a wacky bounce to end this outrageous contest was more fitting. Shea Theodore provided the shot and the lively end boards at T-Mobile Arena did the rest. Shortly after the second overtime began, Theodore fired one past the net, with the vicious ricochet hitting Bussi's pad and ending up in the net.

The goal ensured Stanley Cup Final teams remained perfect with a 4-goal lead in the third period, with the Golden Knights flirting with the loss after previous teams were 108-0 in that scenario. In fact, teams in any round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs were virtually undefeated in that situation, with only the Miracle on Manchester in 1982 seeing a different result.