Florida Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk is chasing an unprecedented NHL record on Saturday as his team hosts the Seattle Kraken. Tkachuk has the opportunity to become the first player to record a hat trick in three consecutive games, following two recent performances that included back-to-back natural hat tricks.
How did the streak begin?
Tkachuk’s recent scoring surge began on Tuesday during a 7-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he scored three goals in just over eight minutes. He followed that performance on Thursday by scoring all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks. Both performances were natural hat tricks, meaning no other player scored between his goals.
Only two other players in league history have achieved consecutive natural hat tricks: Cy Denneny in 1923 and Petri Skriko in 1986. Tkachuk also joins Pavel Bure and Noel Acciari as the only players to record hat tricks in consecutive games for the Florida franchise.
Other NHL storylines to watch
Saturday's 14-game schedule features several other significant individual milestones and matchups:
- Top Draft Picks: The Islanders' Matthew Schaefer and the Maple Leafs' Gavin McKenna will face each other for the second time this season.
- Connor McDavid: The Oilers forward looks to extend his season-opening point streak to eight games against the Utah Mammoth.
- Alex Ovechkin: The Capitals veteran is just two assists away from tying Nicklas Backstrom’s franchise record of 762 assists.
FAQ
What is a natural hat trick?
A natural hat trick occurs when a player scores three consecutive goals in a single game without any other player from either team scoring in between.
Who was the last player to have consecutive hat tricks?
Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs was the last NHL player to record hat tricks in consecutive regular-season games, doing so in February 2024.
