COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Djordje Mihailovic scored in the 70th minute and Colorado held on to defeat slumping Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday night for the 50th win in Rapids coach Chris Armas' MLS career.
Mihailovic scored with a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. Cole Bassett assisted. Mihailovic now has nine goal contributions on the season, including six goals and three assists.
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Colorado Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz, center, struggles to control the ball while driving between Real Salt Lake striker William Agada, left, and forward Matthew Bell, right, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett, right, drives past Real Salt Lake forward Zavier Gozo, left, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Spectators cheer as the Colorado Rapids take the pitch to face Real Salt Lake in an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Real Salt Lake forward Zavier Gozo, right, heads the ball as Colorado Rapids defender Jackson Travis, left, defends in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett, right, drives down the pitch past Real Salt Lake striker William Agada, left, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz, left, collides with Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, center, while in pursuit of the ball in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Theodore Ku-DiPietro, front, drives past Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, back, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz, center, struggles to control the ball while driving between Real Salt Lake striker William Agada, left, and forward Matthew Bell, right, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, left, pursues the ball with Colorado Rapids forward Darren Yapi, right, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids forward Darren Yapi, right, passes the ball as Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, left, covers in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Nico Hansen had two saves for Colorado (5-5-4, 19 points) and Rafael Cabral saved three for RSL.
RSL (4-8-2, 14 points) has two wins in the past nine outings.
Colorado hosts St. Louis on Saturday and Real Salt Lake hosts Vancouver.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett, right, drives past Real Salt Lake forward Zavier Gozo, left, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Spectators cheer as the Colorado Rapids take the pitch to face Real Salt Lake in an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Real Salt Lake forward Zavier Gozo, right, heads the ball as Colorado Rapids defender Jackson Travis, left, defends in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett, right, drives down the pitch past Real Salt Lake striker William Agada, left, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz, left, collides with Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, center, while in pursuit of the ball in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Theodore Ku-DiPietro, front, drives past Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, back, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids midfielder Oliver Larraz, center, struggles to control the ball while driving between Real Salt Lake striker William Agada, left, and forward Matthew Bell, right, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, left, pursues the ball with Colorado Rapids forward Darren Yapi, right, in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rapids forward Darren Yapi, right, passes the ball as Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, left, covers in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to complete a furious four-goal comeback by the Carolina Hurricanes and force overtime at 4-4 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Teams that trail by at least four goals in a Cup Final game are 0-108. Now the Hurricanes have an opportunity in sudden death to become the first.
The Golden Knights seemed to have the game in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Mitch Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes to turn what appeared to be a party atmosphere into a white-knuckler for the Golden Knights. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest in a Cup Final game
Marner scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history, igniting a four-goal second period in for the Vegas Golden Knights, who held off a furious Carolina rally to beat the Hurricanes 4-3 lead and take a 2-1 series lead.
Marner's scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the period, and he had four points in the second. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl's goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final occurred in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Brandon Bussi, who stood tall in making all nine saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Vegas' Carter Hart has made 19 stops on 23 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
Mark Stone's goal from the slot 36 seconds into the period was overturned when Brett Howden was determined to be offside after a video review. Another review wiped off Jack Eichel's rebound goal four minutes in when Rasmus Andersson was called for goalie interference.
It's not the first time this series went against the Golden Knights.
An unsuccessful video challenge by Vegas coach John Tortorella in Game 2 on Thursday night led to a power-play goal by Jordan Staal, whose goal helped the Hurricanes rally to win 4-3 in overtime.
The series is 1-1. Teams that take a 2-1 series lead in the final went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn't return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas' best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Shea Theodore.
“I wish I could say it’s shocking, but it’s not," Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said on the ABC broadcast. "Just the way he comes to the rink every day, it’s like nothing happened. He’s one of a kind. They don’t make them like that anymore, that’s for sure.”
This series has been, if anything, unpredictable.
Each team blew two-goal leads in the first two games, with the Golden Knights rallying in the opener and Hurricanes responding with a Game 2 victory in overtime.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, left, and center Sebastian Aho during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates his goal with right wing Seth Jarvis (24) and center Jordan Staal (11) as he steps over Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, center, celebrates his goal with center William Karlsson, left, during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his goal with center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his third goal for a hat trick with center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, right, stops a shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his goal as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker, right, skates behind during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is seen with a cage on his helmet during the first period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Seth Jarvis shoots the puck during the first period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights' Mark Stone (61) celebrates with Pavel Dorofeyev (16) after scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes to tie in the third period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinook (48), Seth Jarvis (24), Shayne Gostisbehere (4), and Logan Stankoven (22) ceelbrate after Jarvis scored the game-winning goal against against the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
