Mitch Marner recorded his first career playoff hat trick and added an assist, leading the visiting Vegas Golden Knights to a dominant 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, securing a two-games-to-one lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Shea Theodore and Brett Howden each contributed a goal and an assist, while Brayden McNabb also found the net for Vegas. Goaltender Carter Hart stopped 31 shots to earn the win.
The Golden Knights aim to extend their advantage in the best-of-seven series when they return to Anaheim for Game 4 on Sunday.
Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider scored for the Ducks. Starting netminder Lukas Dostal was pulled after the first period, having allowed three goals on eight shots. Ville Husso came on in relief and made 17 saves on 19 shots.
After struggling offensively in the first two games, Vegas got off to a strong start. Theodore opened the scoring just 66 seconds into the contest, jumping into the rush and burying a chance from the slot.
McNabb doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:13, firing inside the far post from the left faceoff circle after receiving a drop pass from Marner. It marked Vegas’s third shorthanded goal of the playoffs.
Marner made it 3-0 before the first period ended, tapping home a loose puck on the power play with 4.6 seconds left in the frame.
He continued the assault in the second period, scoring his second goal just before the halfway mark. Theodore threaded a pass as Marner drove to the net, and the slick forward tucked the puck inside the post.
Marner completed his hat trick with a sharp-angle shot that squeezed through Husso with 2:04 remaining in the second period.
Sennecke got the Ducks on the board at 6:30 of the third period by shoving a loose puck over the line, and Kreider cut the deficit to 5-2 with a quick shot from the low slot at 15:19.
Howden sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:04.
However, the victory came at a cost for Vegas. Captain Mark Stone missed the final two periods after appearing to injure himself while backchecking late in the first period.
