May 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) skates on the ice during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
May 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) skates on the ice during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Saturday, June 6, saw the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals series, and Mitch Marner changed the tides for Vegas. He scored three goals for the Knights, and his performance brought forth an interesting stat comparison.
This incredible 2026 performance was starkly different from the one last year, when Marner was still with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His time with Toronto led to nine postseason appearances, but with nothing much to show for them.
Marner has scored 10 goals with the Maple Leafs between the 2018-19 and the 2024-25 season. In comparison, he has done the same with a single postseason appearance with the Golden Knights.
The 2025 postseason saw Marner score a total of 2 goals and 11 assists in the 13 games he was a part of for Toronto. But not in 2026.
This year, Marner has played 19 games thus far and has bagged 10 goals and 18 assists, with a total point tally of 28. This is a far shot from last year, when he notched only 13 points with the Maple Leafs.
This raises questions about whether Marner was the problem or the team he was playing for.
Last year’s playoffs saw Marner shoot only 16 shots on goal. In comparison, he shot 53 shots on goal in his first postseason appearance with the Knights. In 2025, while with the Maple Leafs, Marner had a +/- of -1, which is rather unimpressive compared to this year.
This offseason, in 19 games, Marner has established a +/- of 16.
This proves that Marner has clearly been more productive this postseason, possibly as he was backed by a team that supported his playstyle better. His Game 3, record-breaking performance has been proof of this as well.
Mitch Marner Breaks Records in Game 3 Against The Hurricanes
Marner had an incredible Game 3 with the Vegas Knights on Saturday, June 6. Not only did he score three goals for his team, but he also set a new record while doing so!
His historic performance set a new record for the fastest hat trick by a player in the Stanley Cup Finals. Tomáš Hertl scored the opening goal for the Knights at 10:26 in the second period, before Marner released his shower of goals.
In a matter of six minutes and 10 seconds, Marner got the puck past the Hurricanes’ goaltender thrice. He gave the Knights a comfortable 4-0 lead going into the third period.
Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens held the previous record for scoring the fastest three goals in a Stanley Cup Finals game. His record was six minutes and 21 seconds from 1957.
Marner almost scored a fourth in the final period, but it was blocked by Carolina’s backup goaltender, Brandon Bussi. The young Canadian’s performance is telling of how much team dynamics and cooperation can affect the game.
Do you think Mitch Marner can take the Vegas Golden Knights all the way to a Stanley Cup victory this year? Let us know in the comments.
