It was a magical Saturday night for New York Rangers Artemi Panarin of Korkino, Russia and Los Angeles Kings left winger Adrian Kempe of Kramfors, Sweden. For the first time in National Hockey League history, two players had a four-goal game with a natural hat trick, on the same night according to bardown. Panarin had four goals and one assist for five points in a 6-2 Rangers win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Kempe had four goals in a 6-0 Kings win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Artemi Panarin
Down 2-1 in the second period, Panarin scored three straight goals and put the Rangers up 4-2. He scored his first goal from Vincent Trocheck and Jimmy Vessey, his second goal from Trocheck and Braden Schneider, and third goal from K’Andre Miller. Panarin’s second goal of the game turned out to be the game-winner. Panarin then closed out the scoring from Jimmy Vesey with one minute and four seconds left in the game.
Adrian Kempe
In a stupendous night for the Kings, Kempe scored the final four goals of the game, on the same night that Pheonix Copley made 25 saves for the shutout. Kempe scored his first three goals in the second period and then the only goal in the third period. Anze Kopitar picked up an assist on all three second period goals, while Drew Doughty had two assists on Kempe goals. Three other Kings who set up Kempe were Quinton Byfield, Michael Anderson and Kevin Fiala.
Kempe and Panarin join Tage Thompson
There have been 57 hat tricks in the National Hockey League this season according to hockey-reference.com. However, only three players have scored more than three goals in a game. Joining Kempe and Panarin, is Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson of Phoenix, Arizona, who had a five-goal game in a 9-4 Buffalo win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 7. Like Panarin and Kempe, Thompson had a natural hat trick.
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