Sunday Scramble: Golden Knights avoid comeuppance they richly deserve

All of this to say – what a sickening way to lose Game 3 for the Canes, the type of emotional manipulation that only a drug-addled ex or your favourite sports team can provide. 

The Golden Knights fans, as if they needed any more happiness, as if they needed this, narrowly escaped the worst collapse in Stanley Cup Final history. 

Oh, how good would that disaster be hanging over their heads forever (for the same reason Oilers fans have to see highlights of the Miracle on Manchester to this day). Instead? A collective exhale as they watched the puck bounce off the endboards and Brandon Bussi’s skates to erupt in celebration, instead of commiserating in the Goliath-level humbling about to kick them in the ass.    

They get to savour their Mitch Marner Night, who had evoked the Hockey Gords in the second period: beating Rocket Richard’s SCF record for fastest hat-trick and besting Frank Mahovlich for most playoff points in a season in the first season with a new team. 

When the intermission crew is talking about reaching Newsy Lalonde territory – who held the scoring record for a million years until Rocket broke it, and has many vaguely unofficial records because they predate the NHL – you know something rare is happening. But when you come for Newsy, you best not miss, like Bad Joe Hall tried.

Some say the game has changed in the past century…

‘Dramatic thrills’

To steal the Star’s phrase, the incidents simply added dramatic thrills to an already exciting contest.

The spectacle continued with Marner, who’d already been awarded the Conn Smythe at intermission, getting a penalty shot in the third period. Lalonde floated above the crease. Bussi, who hadn’t played in two months, shut the door, and that seemed to give Carolina some juice. 

The Canes started cooking and scored the fastest three goals in Stanley Cup Final history, so nice they scored thrice on Carter Hart in 39 seconds. 

Two disallowed goals in the second period on successful challenges. A wild goalmouth scramble 6-on-4 leading to the tying goal. Umpteen icings in overtime. 

She was a spectacle with several hooks for a sportswriter, ending on one of the most “that’s hockey” goals you’re going to see. 

Ugly. 

But in a town where showbiz thrives, these sequels are proving better than Oceans Twelve or Ocean Thirteen could provide. 

The beautiful, stupid game

At this point, a swift Stanley Cup Final is preferred, so Oiler business can resume. Did you hear it’s been three weeks without a coach for the Oilers? Have you heard about this Bruce Cassidy guy…

Then you have the result of Game 3, a Golden Knights victory, and it just makes you sick of the heartbreak we were denied.

I’m not willing to say it’s been one of the best Finals we’ve seen like others are already proclaiming, because it’s been so odd. The game state is often tight, safe, and low-event. 

Then out of nowhere, you say, “What is going on?!” like in Game 2 when the Hurricanes mustered a late comeback charge twice. There are sporadic eruptions that disrupt the tight-checking, positional battle. 

But a few more of these games, it will become one of the most memorable all-time, which is a godsend for the NHL. The previous rounds have been just OK in comparison to past playoffs, so to finish the year on an unexpected high like this would salvage that narrative. 

It helps Bettman grin maniacally for a few more years before the successor-in-chief takes his job. 

To give the devil his due, if you take out the combatants, I can’t help but get romantic about the game after watching that battle. Between the outbursts of chaos, the scoring in bunches, the saves, the challenges…it’s a reminder of why we love hockey.

Also why hockey is a stupid game we give far too much attention to in our day to day lives….

Stanley Cup Final thoughts

Some quick-fire observations from the Final: 

• I was surprised Brind’Amour didn’t pull Andersen sooner. It wasn’t his fault, as the odd-man rushes were racking up in the second period. The mind-numbing puck plays from the Carolina D were uncharacteristic, but at 3-0, Andersen had the puck go past him five times. Seemed like an easy change-of-momentum maneuver. That’s how I’d litigate it: get Bussi in sooner instead of saying he should’ve kept Andersen in because that 2OT bounce could’ve resulted differently. I’m tempted to start Bussi in Game 4. 
• Brayden McNabb may win the unofficial “This Guy is a Warrior” award after playing just two days after perhaps breaking his face on the puck. Some 25-30 stitches, birdcage, and over 35 minutes of ice-time. 
• Sebastian Aho has been a frustrating player to watch. But at his most unproductive, he’s found ways to contribute. That assist from the corner to the far post on the Taylor Hall 4-2 goal was sensational. The hold-in on the equalizer was sneaky great. His playoffs as the Canes “top dog” have been fascinating because he gets big-boy’d out there, like against Florida in previous series. CAR has done well without their top-three scorers dominating, but Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov have found ways to contribute. Down 2-1 in the hole, they’ll need more. 
• Hall-Aho-Blake played 4:25 together and scored. Might be worth keeping together. 
• There’s been a nervous energy to each game. I wonder if that settles down with two days off before Game 4 on Tuesday. 
• The worst part of a tremendous game like that? Years from now when our grandkids are watching highlights directly transmitted into their frontal lobes, they’ll be greeted by one of the ugliest jersey matchups in Stanley Cup history… 
• Carter Hart has gone from staring down shutouts to fighting for his life in the crease. Carolina can crack him in Game 4.
• Tomas Hertl went 29 games without scoring a bloody goal and finally shook from his stupor in Game 4 of the second round vs Anaheim. Now, he’s scored five goals and 13 points in 19 games. Not electric numbers, but better than the rock bottom his game was at a month ago. 
• Overall, Hertl’s regular season featured 24 goals and 58 points, which is fine for a $6.75 million middle-six forward. But this playoffs could go well enough they could move him out when they need to sign Pavel Dorofeyev and Rasmus Andersson this summer. Hertl does have a modified no-trade clause. God save us from a Dylan Larkin related swap here…

USA vs Russia exhibition game

In off-the-radar hockey news, did you hear about this USA-Russia exhibition hockey game on July 1? Officials are looking for some melt on previously hostile relations between Biden and Putin.  

Robert Agee, the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham), committed to the game at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday. 

It will take place in Moscow and has been described as a “pro-am” of competitors.  

To steal a Norm MacDonald Weekend Update setup: “Not much is known about this hockey game, but thing is for sure – it will suck.” 

This is tied to the big Fourth of July celebration for the United States, which has become self-masturbatory for President Trump. The Freedom 250 bash has been a colossal screwup, with the UFC card on the White House lawn missing well-known MAGA fighters, and a lineup of musical acts so poor that Milli Vanilli is saying no.

On the ice, though, one has to wonder who’s actually going to play. The Moscow Times reported that Alex Ovechkin would be “involved” but would definitely not be playing. The KHL says they’re just learning of this game.

What’s the highest skill level of player who’s going to participate? Any pros? Is Putin going to play? 

This past week did point toward Russian inclusion at a greater scale in the larger hockey world with the NHL at next year’s All-Star Game. Russian players can play with the “World” team for the skills competition and 3-on-3 tournament. The groundwork is being laid for Russia to play in the 2028 World Cup, as Bill Daly made mention that other nations will not boycott, like previously reported.   

So at the least, worth keeping an eye on this Moscow game to see if the Hockey Powers have their opinion swayed on a greater return to normalcy in the competitions. The IIHF banned Russia and Belarus back in 2022.