Five Saturday NHL hat tricks

There were five National Hockey League hat tricks on the second last night of the 2022-23 regular season. Let’s take a look at who scored thrice.

Carter Verhaeghe

The native of Toronto, Ontario did not just score three times, but became the fifth player this season to score four goals in a game. He accomplished the feat in a 7-0 Florida Panthers shutout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. In a game where the Panthers showed strong offense, Alex Lyon of Baudette, Minnesota collected his first career NHL shutout. This was the second straight game a Panthers player had a hat trick. On Thursday, Matthew Tkachuk scored thrice in a 5-2 Panthers win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was a huge win for the Panthers as they moved into a playoff spot with one more point than the Pittsburgh Penguins.

David Pastrnak

The native of Havirov, Czechia accomplished the feat in an exciting 4-3 Boston Bruins win over the Penguins on Saturday afternoon. He recorded his 100th point of the season with a second period goal from Dmitry Orlov, and then scored twice, including the game-winning goal in the third period. In fact, Pastrnak broke a 3-3 tie with his 56th goal of the season from fellow Czechia forwards David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins now have 123 points in 2022-23.

Noah Gregor

The native of Beaumont, Alberta had three goals for the San Jose Sharks in a 7-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. This was Gregor’s first career hat trick. Nico Sturm of Augsburg, Germany had a solo assist on Gregor’s first two goals.

Leon Draisaitl

Speaking of German hockey, Leon Draisaitl of Cologne, Germany had three goals for the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks. Draisaitl now has 50 goals on the season for the third time, and has career highs in assists (70) and points (120). More importantly for Draisaitl, the Oilers clinched a playoff spot.

Alex Tuch

The right winger from Syracuse, New York recorded his second hat trick of the season in a 6-3 Buffalo Sabres win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Tuch previously had a hat trick in a 6-3 Sabres win over the Calgary Flames on October 20.