Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina gave fans plenty of excitement on June 2. One moment involving the Knights’ Mitch Marner and the Hurricanes’ Alexander Nikishin quickly became a big topic among NHL fans online.

The Golden Knights came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Hurricanes 5-4 and take a 1-0 series lead. Marner also helped in the win by recording an assist. But a different moment got a lot of attention on social media. During the game, Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin shot the puck toward the Vegas zone.

The puck traveled directly toward Marner, and videos of the incident soon spread on X, showing the Golden Knights forward trying to react as the puck came at him quickly.

From different camera angles, it looked like Marner tried to get out of the way instead of purposely blocking the puck. Even though he tried to avoid it, the puck hit him near the knee.

Because the shot was moving very fast, the play looked dangerous and worried some fans watching the game.

Fortunately, Marner did not appear to suffer a serious injury and stayed in the game. The fans reacted to the incident and gave their perspectives. Let’s see some of them below. 

Fans Debate the Reaction of Mitch Marner to Nikishin’s Shot

While some fans were impressed that Marner stayed in the game after getting hit in the knee, many focused on a different question. The question was whether he was actually trying to block the shot?

One fan completely rejected that idea, writing, “The hype train on Marner is insane. He jumping out of the way. He's not trying to block s***.”

Another fan used the play to praise the toughness that hockey players often show. “The toughest athletes in the world are hockey players without a doubt.”

Many fans believed Marner was trying to avoid the puck instead of putting his body in front of the shot.

“He looks like he was trying to avoid it.”

Others were even more critical after watching the replay.

“He’s clearly trying not to get hit like the baby he is.”

Another fan shared a similar view and made the same argument.

“Ah, the video does not lie…he is trying to jump out of the way! Just happens to hit him in the process.”

The reactions showed that fans viewed the play very differently. The moment did not have a big effect on the result of Game 1, but it became one of the most talked-about clips online. Many fans were not convinced that Marner intentionally blocked the shot.

What do you think? Was Marner actually trying to block? Or was he trying to avoid it? Comment your opinion below. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Souvik Roy