Latest news with #HatTrickChallenge
Boston Globe
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Mikko Rantanen tears through his former team with third-period hat trick; Stars oust Avalanche in Game 7
Advertisement A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE 👏 Mikko Rantanen scores the first-ever hat trick in the third period of a Hat Trick Challenge presented by — NHL (@NHL) Colorado took a 2-0 lead when Nathan MacKinnon made a short snap shot only 31 seconds into the third period. It was the first goal he has scored in five Game 7s, but all of those are losses. Traded twice in a six-week period earlier this season, Rantanen scored five goals in the series against his former team. Rantanen got Dallas's first goal with 12:11 left on a shot from above the middle of the circles. He tied the game at 2 with 6:14 left went he skated behind the net and took a wraparound shot that ricocheted off the skate of Avs defenseman Samuel Girard. Rantanen then sealed the win with an empty-netter with 3 seconds remaining.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Takeaways From Flyers Entertaining Win vs. Rangers
If you blinked, you probably missed a goal. That's how wild things got at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, where the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers combined for nine goals in the third period alone in what felt less like an NHL game and more like a high-scoring, firewagon fever dream. But when the dust settled, the Flyers emerged with an 8–5 win over a Rangers team still jockeying for playoff position, thanks to a first career hat trick from Tyson Foerster and some timely goaltending from Aleksei Kolosov in his first start in three months. It's easy to look at the standings and assume there's nothing left to play for. The Flyers disagree. Loudly. They're not rolling over—they're pushing forward, playing with pride, freedom, and a whole lot of energy. As Foerster put it simply after the game: 'Winning is fun, so let's keep winning.' Hats off, belt on. #PHIvsNYR | @IBX — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 10, 2025 1. Foerster's Hat Trick Caps a Successful Season In one of the NHL's most iconic buildings, Tyson Foerster had a night he'll never forget. Three goals, 22 on the season, and a spot in the Flyers' history books. 'It was pretty cool,' Foerster said afterward. 'I know this building is awesome, and it was pretty cool to get a hat trick here, for sure.' Have yourself a night, Tyson Foerster! He's got his first career hat trick!! 👏 Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS — NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2025 "Cool" is an understatement. Foerster became the first Flyer since Simon Gagne to record back-to-back 20-goal seasons to begin his career with the club—a feat that speaks not only to his finishing ability but also to his steady growth as a two-way contributor. '[Gagne's] a Flyers legend, so it's pretty cool to be a part of that,' Foerster said with a smile. 'Coming in here every year, you just want to get better and better. So to do that, to just be a little bit better [than last year]... it's pretty good.' His scoring touch was on full display Tuesday, but what's perhaps even more impressive is how he's added physicality and puck protection to his game. He's no longer just a shooter—he's someone who can be leaned on to drive a line and tilt the ice. And with four games to go, Foerster isn't coasting to the finish line. 'Hopefully I can continue to stay hot and do it again next year.' 2. Aleksei Kolosov Gets the Start—and the Win The box score says Aleksei Kolosov gave up five goals. That's true. It was his first start in three months, and he was immediately thrown into the fire—a situatuin interim head coach Brad Shaw specifically said pregame they were trying to avoid putting Kolosov in against the Rangers. "I'm hoping our guys can play smart in the first five, 10 minutes, minimize the shots and the quality of them so that he can sort of work his way into the game. Make that first period as least chaotic as possible."- Brad Shaw on Aleksei Kolosov making first start since Jan. 2 — Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 9, 2025 'I thought Koly was great in the first period,' said interim head coach Brad Shaw. 'I talked about limiting chances against him, and then we give him a penalty shot and two other point-blank breakaways! So it wasn't ideal… but I thought he held us in, kept it 1-0 after one period where we were kind of struggling and stuck in the mud a little bit.' Sean Couturier echoed the praise: 'He made some big saves early to keep us in the game. For us to get a couple of goals late in the game to help and get that win, I think it's huge for him.' The Flyers have been cautious with Kolosov's development since he came over from Belarus, but this outing showed exactly why there's excitement around the 22-year-old. He's composed, athletic, and unflappable—even in a game where pucks were flying in at every angle. The crease in Philadelphia has seen a revolving door this season, but Kolosov gave the Flyers a steady hand when they needed it. 3. This Team Still Cares—A Lot Let's get this out of the way: Tuesday night's game was not a clinic in defensive structure. Brad Shaw admitted as much. 'That was a crazy period. It just feels like—not quite utter chaos, but it feels like it's slipping out of your control if it hasn't already.' And yet, through all the chaos, the Flyers never lost their sense of togetherness or belief. They didn't cave when the Rangers surged, and they kept their foot on the gas until the final buzzer. 'I thought they had some good pushes in the first two periods,' said Sean Couturier. 'I don't think we played our best game, but we stuck together and got some big goals late in the game.' This group might be out of the playoff picture, but they're not going through the motions. There's pride in every shift, chemistry in every zone, and fire in every celebration. Jakob Pelletier, whose reactions to goals have quickly endeared fans, teammates, and coaches alike, summed it up perfectly: 'It was good! You know, it's nice. I thought we had a tough first period, but then we came back strong.' There's also been a noticeable shift in the team's offensive mindset since Shaw took over behind the bench. Couturier pointed to a looseness that's brought out the best in players: 'It definitely feels like guys seem to be a little more loose. They aren't afraid to make plays… you've got to make sure you're accountable… but it's nice to see guys getting rewarded.' With four games left, the Flyers are writing their own ending to this season—one that isn't defined by playoff berths, but by fight, fun, and a belief that something meaningful can still come from the final stretch.
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Wild coach John Hynes says team's poor effort vs. Devils ‘will be addressed': 3 takeaways
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Give coach John Hynes credit for this: He didn't put lipstick on this ugly pig. At this time of year, when the playoff race is tightening and your team is sinking, it's easy — and probably smartest — to flush awful efforts and damaging defeats because it's imperative to forget quickly and turn the page fast. Advertisement But the Wild coach made clear over and over that Saturday's extremely disappointing, 5-2, loss to the New Jersey Devils will be addressed during the Wild's only third non-optional practice since the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Wild have bemoaned 'scheduled losses' a handful of times during this grind of a season. Well, Saturday should have been a 'scheduled win.' It was the Devils who played the night before at 7 p.m., north of the border in Winnipeg. It was the Devils — after playing and traveling — who were faced with a 5 p.m. puck drop at Xcel Energy Center after arriving in the Twin Cities after 1 a.m. And yet it was the Devils who took a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into Saturday's game, a 2-0 lead before the six-minute mark and allowed only four shots in the first half of the first period. It was the Devils who had the better legs, especially center Nico Hischier (hat trick, 14 of 20 in the faceoff circle), and were the better team for 60 minutes, save for a few pockets where Jacob Markstrom kept the Wild's feeble offensive attack from striking. HATS FOR HISCHIER!! 🧢🧢🧢 Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS — NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2025 'I just thought from the drop of the puck, mentally and physically, we weren't where we needed to be, and it lasted throughout the game,' Hynes said. 'I'm not gonna mince words on it, but we weren't mentally ready to play. The focus, the details, the game, the competitive level that's required to win wasn't there. We beat ourselves in so many different ways tonight, so it'll be addressed, and we'll be ready for Monday.' The Wild will rematch the Devils on Monday night in Newark at the start of a three-game road trip. If the Wild expect to rebound, they'll need a better performance from goalie Filip Gustavsson and their defense. The Wild, who have defended well for a month, were uncharacteristically a mess in their own zone. They were running around and lost coverage. Offensively, they had trouble breaking the puck out and gave up too many odd-man rushes. Advertisement Maybe the biggest example came late in the second period when Brock Faber refrained from taking a shot through traffic and instead skated himself to the half boards and threw an errant pass across the middle of the slot that was intercepted for a three-on-one. The only reason why the Devils didn't extend a 2-1 lead to 3-1 right there is that Jared Spurgeon tied up Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt's shot hit Meier in the crease. Timo Meier Stops A Jesper Bratt Goal#NJDevils #MNWild #NHL — Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) March 29, 2025 There were countless plays like that from countless players. 'We got guys in positions that need to understand you gotta be smarter,' said Marcus Foligno, who scored a goal, an assist and got into a scrap for a Gordie Howe hat trick. 'We can't make little mistakes (when) right now, guys are at their best opponent-wise. We need to be perfect in all scenarios and when we're not, it's going to be outcomes like this.' After facing the Devils, the Wild visit the Rangers and Islanders. The Wild are now tied with the St. Louis Blues with 87 points. The Wild are only in the top wild-card spot because the Blues have played one more game. But it's the Blues that have won nine in a row, including a big win in Colorado on Saturday. It's the Wild who are sliding in the standings and have dropped three of their past four and two of three during their most recent disappointing homestand. 'Listen, this league is hard to win in, and as I said tonight, I didn't think that we were focused with the details you need to play with to give yourself a chance to win,' Hynes said. 'That combined with the competitive level that's required to win. When both of those aren't there, then obviously something's amiss. And that's why when I say we'll address it, we will address it, and we'll make sure that those things will be addressed prior to the game on Monday.' Advertisement With the Wild desperate for points, Hynes and the coaching staff are clearly riding Gustavsson to the finish. Marc-Andre Fleury has played three times since the 4 Nations Face-Off and Gustavsson is getting the majority of the starts, including Thursday's win against the Washington Capitals and Saturday's against the Devils, even though his second child — a boy named Jage — was born Wednesday. 'Before last game, I was at hospital till 12 o'clock at night, went home, slept a little bit,' Gustavsson said. Gustavsson made no excuses (like fatigue) after Saturday's loss, but he wasn't his sharpest. He gave up a month's worth of rebounds and seemed to have no control over where those rebounds were going. On New Jersey's first goal, he served up Bratt's rebound off a two-on-one right onto Nico Hischier's stick for the captain's first of three goals. New Jersey's second goal, Brian Dumoulin's shot from between the circles, hit him on the upper right of his chest and ended up in the left corner for essentially an open-net goal for Paul Cotter. Paul Cotter finds the back of the net from a tough angle for another quick Devils goal, 2-0 Jersey!#NJDevils — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 29, 2025 He was hardly helped by his teammates, but in the third, Hischier gave New Jersey an immediate 3-1 lead when his shot from just over the blue line deflected off Jared Spurgeon's stick, then his shin pad before fluttering by Gustavsson. Ryan Hartman cut the deficit to 3-2, but when Matt Boldy took an offensive-zone slashing minor with 6:08 left, Hischier banked a power-play goal in off Gustavsson's skate. He'd then give up another to Tomas Tatar. 'They played last night, and we should be the harder team straight off the gate and they come out and score two quicks, and that's something we can't allow, especially when we're playing very tight games and have those low scoring games usually,' Gustavsson said. 'So have to address that.' Advertisement Added Foligno, 'We can't do that at this time, especially in the playoffs. I think we won five faceoffs in a row for the first time and we couldn't break out. So, it's frustrating when you do that. We gotta be better.' Foligno, the Wild's sparkplug in so many ways, impacted Saturday's game in multiple ways. First, with the Wild trailing 2-0, he redirected Spurgeon's point shot for his 11th goal to cut the deficit in half after Jonas Brodin took a hit from Nolan Foote to save possession along the half wall. MOOOOOOOOSE 🫎#EasyToCelebrate x @budlight — Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 29, 2025 Then, Foligno drew a cross-checking minor with four seconds left in the first period and was incensed when referee Brian Pochmara also dinged him with an embellishment. Then, in the second period, Foligno finished his check hard on Dumoulin. Teammate Johnathan Kovacevic, who was the one who cross-checked Foligno in the first, challenged Foligno to a fight. Foligno just came back from five games out of the lineup stemming from an injury caused in a fight, so you could tell Foligno was unable to go. He didn't try to grab for Kovacevic and immediately went down once they locked up. But Foligno got up quickly and began firing up the crowd. He also drew a power play during the sequence, but the Wild were unable to tie the score at 2. Marcus Foligno is fired up — Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) March 29, 2025 Foligno later assisted on Hartman's goal. 'These games bring out the best of me,' Foligno said. 'I think that's just what we need as a team. It sucks when you lose in an effort like that. But I gotta keep bringing this. This is something we need to keep doing and we need that emotion in the game.' The Wild got a head start on the trade deadline by trading a 2026 second-round pick to the Nashville Predators for veteran Gus Nyquist. Advertisement It was a decent bet because Nyquist was good in his short stint with the Wild in 2023, scored 75 points last season and is known to be a smart, skillful, fast player. But the Wild were also discounting the fact that the 35-year-old looked like he lost a step this season in Nashville and was in the middle of a miserable season. Well, nothing has changed in Minnesota. In 14 games back with the Wild, he has no goals on 19 shots and three assists. He has just nine goals this season — four into an empty net and one five-on-five goal since Oct. 28. He has no goals since Jan. 25. He has so far played wing on the first, second and third line and has yet to create offensive chemistry with any linemates.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oilers Key Player Grades: The Comeback That Wasn't
It wasn't a win, but what a turnaround. Halfway through the third period Edmonton Oilers' eventual loss to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, the mood in Rogers Place couldn't be worse. They were down 4-0, missing top two players, Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard had their own injury scares, and Stuart Skinner was just pulled from the game after a scary collision with Mikko Rantanen. All hope was lost. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. But then they made a game of it, scoring three goals in the final ten minutes to put a real scare into the Stars. They were tantalizingly close to the comeback but just ran out of time, losing 4-3 in one of the most eventful games of their season. Mattias Ekholm: C+ Ekholm had one of his worst half-games as an Oiler on Wednesday, holding a -3 through two periods and factoring--negatively--into all three of those goals. It's a second period natural hatty for Jason Robertson! 🌟 Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS — NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2025 Ekholm rebounded in the third, picking up an assist and salvaging a 55% expected goals share, but the veteran blueliner was uncharacteristically mistake-prone against a high-powered Stars team. He'll have to get that sorted out come the playoffs, because it's not going to get any easier from here on out. Trending Oilers Articles Oilers 2025 Playoff Tickets: Buy Them Now With Pre-Sale EDMONTON – If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you enjoy watching hockey. Edmonton Oilers Prospects: William Nicholl Quietly Impressive 'His Legs Are a Gift': Connor McDavid Praises Defenseman Philip Broberg After a Milestone Setting Night Oilers Game Schedule For March 2025 Ex-Oiler Pat Maroon Makes Big Emotional Announcement Former Oilers Holloway & Broberg Come Up Clutch It's coming down to the wire in the Western Conference. Zach Hyman: B Hyman scored the Oilers' final goal, potting his 26th of the year in classic Hyman fashion to make it 4-3 with a minute and a half to go It looked for a while like we might not see Hyman again for a long time, let alone again that night. He left the game early in the second after an awkward fall, seeming to twist his knee when he got tied up with Mason Marchment. Zach Hyman is back on the bench after this awkward fall. 📹: Sportsnet — Oily Since '07 (@OilersNation) March 27, 2025 We've certainly seen plays like that end players' seasons before, but luckily, Hyman was okay, returning to the bench just as Evan Bouchard left after taking a shot off his foot (Bouchard would also return). Already without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it's hard to even imagine what the Oilers would look like with Hyman and Bouchard out as well. Corey Perry: B+ Leave it to the veterans to rally the troops. Perry picked up a goal and an assist during the Oilers' aborted comeback as the powerplay kept humming along without its two massive turbine engines. Scorey 🚨 #LetsGoOilers — Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 27, 2025 Perry himself left the game with regrets. Asked about his team's reaction to the Stars driving the net and injuring Skinner, Perry didn't mince words: "I was pissed at myself," he told the media after the game. "I didn't see what happened, and that's on me, I should never let that happen." Stuart Skinner has left the game for the Oilers, going down after making contact with Mikko Rantanen — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 27, 2025 Skinner didn't return after taking a knee to the head, and head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that he likely won't join the team on their one-game road trip to Seattle on Thursday. This is the second time in three games Skinner has been pulled by the concussion spotter. The Oilers continue onto Seattle to face the Kraken, before returning home for the Battle of Alberta on Saturday. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golden Knights' Jack Eichel Nets Hat Trick And Brett Howden Hits A Milestone In A Dominant Win
The Vegas Golden Knights thrashed the Minnesota Wild 5-1 thanks to a hat trick from Jack Eichel and a milestone-setting goal from Brett Howden. Eichel and Tomas Hertl have not only been two of the hottest players on the Golden Knights, but two of the hottest players in the NHL. With Tomas Hertl out for at least a week, the Golden Knights were in search of more goal-scoring, and Eichel stepped up. Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev lead the team with 30 goals, and Eichel looks poised for a late push to steal that crown. The 28-year-old opened the scoring in the first period, finishing off a neat behind-the-back pass by captain Mark Stone. He'd added his second of the game in the third period with his patent shot from the half wall on the power play. Very few players in the NHL can load up a one-timer like Eichel can, but on this goal he didn't need to. He corralled the puck and fired a wrist shot into the top corner. With the Golden Knights up 4-1, Eichel was sprung on a 2-on-1 and beat former Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury through the legs to complete the hat trick, bringing him up to 26 goals, now just four back of the team lead. HAVE A NIGHT, EICHEL‼️Jack Eichel registers his first hatty of the season! Hat Trick Challenge presented by @astrazenecaus — NHL (@NHL) March 26, 2025 "He's just a good player, he stands out every night," said HC Bruce Cassidy. "There was a little fatigue a month ago coming out of the tournament, and he seems to have found his rhythm again." Eichel deservedly took the headlines, but Howden's second-period tally did not go unnoticed. The former 2016 first-round pick has obliterated his previous career-highs and has reached the 20-goal milestone for the first time in his career. His 34 points ranked eighth on the team, and his 20 goals are equal with Ivan Barbashev for the fourth most. The 26-year-old was drafted into the NHL for his two-way game and high work ethic, but also for his point production in the juniors. He was never able to carve out a role with the New York Rangers, but things began to click for Howden when he joined the Golden Knights. He found his spot playing in the bottom six, providing energy and speed to go along with his defensive acumen at 5-on-5 and the penalty kill. "That's good for Howie," said Cassidy. "We use everywhere in the lineup, and he doesn't always get the glory offensive spots and o-zone starts, he doesn't get any power play time, so good on him. It was a hard-working goal and that tends to be a lot of his goals." Multiple key contributors exited the organization in the previous offseason, which opened up space for Howden to garner a larger role. His 14:51 of ice time is the highest of his Golden Knights tenure, and Cassidy has trusted Howden to play up and down the line, as well as in the middle of the ice or on the wing. He's become an indispensable player for the Golden, and it's why he was given a five-year contract. Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
