Three NHL Thursday hat tricks

As the National Hockey League is getting a little closer to the All-Star Game, there were three Thursday hat tricks. Those who scored thrice were Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak of Havirov, Czech Republic, Washington Capitals right winger TJ Oshie of Mount Vernon, Washington, and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews of San Ramon, California.

David Pastrnak

For Pastrnak it was his 18th career NHL hat trick, but only his first this season. He accomplished the feat in a 5-2 Bruins win over the Colorado Avalanche. Pastrnak opened the scoring at the 44 second mark from Charlie Coyle of East Weymouth, Massachusetts. He then scored two goals in the last three minutes of the game to close out the scoring. Pastrnak put the Bruins up 4-2 with a power-play goal from Jake DeBrusk with two minutes and 36 seconds left, and then put the Bruins up 5-2 from Coyle with 22 seconds left into an empty net.

Pastrnak has 29 goals and 35 assists for 64 points this season in 44 games. He is a +8 with 35 penalty minutes, 27 power-play points, four game-winning goals, a NHL high 223 shots on goal, three faceoff wins, nine blocked shots, 31 hits, 33 takeaways, and 40 giveaways. The Bruins have the most points in the Eastern Conference with 63 points. They have a record of 27 wins, eight regulation losses and nine losses in extra time.

TJ Oshie

Oshie now has seven NHL career hat tricks. He accomplished his seventh hat trick in a 5-2 Washington Capitals win over the St. Louis Blues, Oshie’s former team. Like Pastrnak, Oshie opened the scoring. He put Washington up 1-0 from Max Pacioretty of New Canaan, Connecticut at 10:24 of the first period. Oshie then put Washington up 3-1 with a game-winning power-play marker from Dylan Strome of Mississauga, Ontario and Pacioretty at 10:27 of the second period. Oshie’s hat trick then closed out the scoring with 20 seconds left in the game from defenseman Martin Fehervary of Bratislava, Slovakia into an empty net.

In 2023-24, Oshie has seven goals and three assists for 10 points in 26 games. He is a -3 with 26 penalty minutes, four power-play points, two game-winning goals, 60 shots on goal, eight faceoff wins, 22 blocked shots, 34 hits, 18 takeaways, and nine giveaways. Oshie’s other game-winning goal this season came on January 13 in a 3-2 Capitals win over the New York Rangers. Oshie scored from defenseman Joel Edmundson of Brandon, Manitoba and Strome at 8:29 of the third period to break a 2-2 deadlock. With the win over the Blues, the Capitals improve to a record of 22 wins, 15 regulation losses and six losses in extra time for 50 points. They are one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for a playoff spot.

Auston Matthews

Matthews notched his 11th NHL career hat trick on Thursday in front of MVP chants at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. Tbe Maple Leafs veteran forward put Toronto on the scoreboard after Calgary went up 2-0 at 18:24 of the first period. He scored from Noah Gregor of Beaumont, Alberta, and Bobby McMann of Wainwright, Alberta. Matthews then tied the game at two from Swedes Pontus Holmberg and William Nylander at 4:08 of the second period. Matthews then put the Maple Leafs up 4-2 after assisting on Mitch Marner’s game-winning goal. Matthews scored from Matthew Knies of Phoenix, Arizona and T.J. Brodie of Chatham, Ontario at 13:39 of the second period.

Matthews now leads the NHL this season with 28 even strength goals and 37 goals. In 42 games, he has 17 assists, 54 points, is a +9 with four penalty minutes, three game-winning goals, one shorthanded point, 180 shots on goal, 371 faceoff wins, 53 blocked shots, 40 hits, 42 takeaways, and 27 giveaways. Matthews’s shorthanded point was a shorthanded assist on a goal by Nylander in a 4-1 Maple Leafs win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 23. It was Matthews’s first shorthanded point of his career. With the win, the Maple Leafs improved to a record of 22 wins, 13 regulation losses, and eight losses in extra time for 52 points. They are in third place in the Atlantic Division.