Recap of Stanley Cup Final from 7 June 2026, Off Day

The Stanley Cup Final continues at T-Mobile Arena with Game 4 tomorrow, where the Golden Knights aim to take a 3-1 series lead as the Hurricanes look to equalize on the road. Teams that take a 3-1 series lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final own an all-time record of 38-1 (.974), while clubs that trailed 2-1 have won four of the past five Game 4s as visitors.

* Close games have been a recurring theme through the first three contests of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, and the Golden Knights and Hurricanes could combine for just the fourth championship series in NHL history to start with four straight one-goal games.

* Connor McDavid was named the recipient of the Ted Lindsay Award for the fifth time in his career, presented annually to “the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by the members of the NHLPA.

FINAL CONTINUES TO FEATURE GOALS GALORE, COMEBACKS OF ALL KIND
The Golden Knights return to T-Mobile Arena for Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday with a 2-1 series lead, while the Hurricanes look to equalize on the road in what’s been a thrilling championship round, featuring plenty of scoring as well as a multi-goal comeback win in each of the first two contests plus a four-goal rally by Carolina in Game 3.

* After the Hurricanes and Golden Knights combined to make the 2026 Final the first championship series to feature a multi-goal comeback win by each team through the first two contests, Carolina rewrote NHL history again with a four-goal rally in Game 4. Though they ultimately fell 5-4 in overtime, the Hurricanes became the second team in Stanley Cup Final history to erase a four-goal deficit regardless of result, following Game 1 of the 1972 Final when the Rangers overcame a 5-1 deficit against the Bruins in an eventual 6-5 regulation defeat.

* The 2026 Stanley Cup Final has featured 25 goals through the first three games, the fifth most through that stage of any championship series in NHL history behind 1981 (NYI vs. MNS: 30), 1932 (NYR vs. TOR: 28), 1973 (MTL vs. CHI: 27), 1918 (TAN vs. VMI: 27) and 1980 (PHI vs. NYI: 26). Vegas and Carolina, which have averaged 8.33 goals per game this series, can combine for the fourth Final to feature 33-plus goals through four contests, following the aforementioned 1981 (36), 1918 (36) and 1980 (33) series.

* All three games of the Final have been decided by a one-goal margin, just the 10th championship series in NHL history to feature that trend through the first three contests – and first in a decade (also 3 GP in 2016; PIT vs. SJS). Only three Stanley Cup Finals have started with four straight one-goal games: 2015 (5 GP; CHI vs. TBL), 1951 (5 GP; TOR vs. MTL) and 1968 (4 GP; MTL vs. STL).

* Shea Theodore scored the overtime winner for Vegas in Game 3 after Seth Jarvis did the same for Carolina in Game 2. Should the teams require extra time again in Game 4, the 2026 Final would mark just the third championship series in NHL history with three straight overtime games, following 1951 (5 GP; MTL vs. TOR) and 1993 (3 GP; LAK vs. MTL).

* Mitch Marner netted his second hat trick of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 3 and leads all skaters in the Final with 3-4—7 (3 GP). Marner will look to join Mikko Rantanen (0-8—8 in 4 GP w/ COL in 2022) as the second player in the past 31 years to record at least eight points through the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final.

* NHL in ASL continues to broadcast every game of the Stanley Cup Final, available for streaming exclusively on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet+ in Canada. The alternate telecast, dedicated completely to the Deaf and hard of hearing community using American Sign Language, captured Theodore’s double-OT winner in Game 3.

GET TO KNOW: JACCOB SLAVIN AND PAVEL DOROFEYEV
A handful of players are appearing in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their careers in 2026 as Vegas and Carolina each continue to chase their second-ever championship. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev are two of those stars looking to hoist the Cup by the end of June.

* Slavin’s career highlights include franchise playoff records for goals, assists and points by a defenseman (9-35—44 in 102 GP), two Lady Byng Trophies and the distinction of being the only active blueliner to register 40 or more playoff points and a plus-40 rating. Only one other defenseman in League history has captured the Lady Byng Trophy multiple times: Red Kelly (3x)

* He has found the score sheet in two of three games to start the Stanley Cup Final (0-2—2 in 3 GP) and has done so on the heels of capturing a gold medal with the United States at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He can join Drew Doughty (2013-14), Duncan Keith (2009-10), Brent Seabrook (2009-10) and Ken Morrow (1979-80) as the fifth defenseman to win an Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same season.

* Slavin started skating at age two using an M&M’s candy method his parents developed, where his mom, Wendi, would place M&M’s candies on the ice in small intervals to encourage him – and all of his siblings – to learn to skate. He has two children and has since bought M&M’s in bulk as both have learned to skate the Slavin way.

* Dorofeyev (No. 79 in 2019) is one of two players on Vegas’ roster that was drafted by the franchise, alongside Kaedan Korczak (No. 41 in 2019), who has yet to skate in a game during this championship series. Vegas, which won its first Cup in 2023 with just one player drafted by the club having competed in the Final (min. 1 GP), can become the fourth franchise in NHL history to achieve the feat multiple times, following Montreal (5x), Toronto (2x) and Boston (2x).

* He has found the back of the net for the Golden Knights when it matters most in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – with five of his 10 goals this postseason having tied the contest. Dorofeyev is looking for his first points of the Final when the puck drops at T-Mobile Arena for Game 4 and should he help Vegas draw even once again, he would join Luc Robitaille (7 in 1991), Joe Pavelski (6 in 2020) and Jere Lehtinen (6 in 1999) as the fourth player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with six or more game-tying goals in a single playoff year.

* The 2026 Stanley Cup Final culminates a career season for the 25-year-old forward where he established a career high with 37 goals – highlighted by a hat trick on opening night against the Kings. He has made a habit of making hats fly this year after also securing a three-goal performance in Game 5 of the First Round. Now, Dorofeyev (47 in 101 GP) needs three more goals to join William Karlsson (50 in 2017-18) as the second Golden Knights player with 50 in one campaign (regular season & playoffs combined).

McDAVID WINS FIFTH TED LINDSAY AWARD
Connor McDavid was named as the recipient of the Ted Lindsay Award on Sunday, presented annually to “the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by the members of the NHLPA. The Oilers captain was surprised with the trophy by his family and close friends during a casual golf outing.

* McDavid became just the second five-time recipient in the award’s history, following Wayne Gretzky. McDavid was also named the recipient in 2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21 and 2022-23.

* McDavid’s 16 overall individual awards are the fourth most by any player in NHL history, behind Gretzky (31), Alex Ovechkin (19), Bobby Orr (17) and Mario Lemieux (17).

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE DRAFT: SET OF TWINS TO WATCH FOR IN RUCK BROTHERS

Liam Ruck (No. 20-Ranked North American Skater) and Markus Ruck (No. 23-Ranked North American Skater) are twins and teammates in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, both who will hope to hear their name called in Buffalo at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The pair are mirror twins – which is when a pair of twins possess opposite traits that mirror each other – who were born eight minutes apart and have been inseparable ever since. They joined “NHL Draft Class” podcast this week from the NHL Scouting Combine.

* Markus (21-87—108 in 68 GP) and Liam (45-59—104 in 68 GP) finished first and second in WHL scoring during the 2025-26 regular season and won a WHL championship together in 2024-25. The duo is from Osoyoos, B.C., and grew up big Canucks fans, even having their childhood room painted in Canucks colors. They hope to follow in the Sedin twins’ footsteps by both being selected in the first round of the NHL Draft and maybe even playing together on an NHL team.