Los Angeles Kings captain and center Anze Kopitar of Jesenice, Slovenia recorded his seventh National Hockey League career hat trick on Thursday. He accomplished the feat in a 3-1 Kings win over the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. It was the first time in Kopitar’s career that he registered a hat trick where he scored all of his team’s goals in a single game.
Inside look at the hat trick
All three of Kopitar’s goals came in the third period. He tied the game at one at the 13 second mark of the final frame from right winger Alex Laferriere of Chatham, New Jersey, and defenseman Joel Edmundson of Brandon, Manitoba. Kopitar then score the game-winner with one minute and 38 seconds left in the third period on the power-play from defenseman Jordan Spence of Manly, Australia and Kevin Fiala of St. Gallen, Switzerland to give the Kings a 2-1 lead. Kopitar then closed out the scoring with an insurance goal from Quinton Byfield of Newmarket, Ontario and Adrian Kempe of Kramfors, Sweden into an empty net with 42 seconds left in the game.
Kopitar’s second hat trick in Kings’s season opener
This was actually the second time in Kopitar’s career that he registered a hat trick in a Kings’s season opener. He accomplished the feat on October 14, 2021 in a 6-2 Kings win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kopitar’s five other hat tricks
Kopitar had his first NHL hat trick on October 22, 2009 in a 5-4 Kings win over the Dallas Stars. That was followed by a hat trick in a 4-2 Kings win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 11, 2011, in a 5-4 Kings win over the New York Rangers on February 12, 2016, in a 7-1 Kings win over the Colorado Avalanche on March 22, 2018, and in a 6-5 Kings win over the Winnipeg Jets on February 28, 2023. In Kopitar’s hat tricks against the Avalanche and Jets, he scored four goals.
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