One would think as long as he has been in the NHL that Alex Killorn would’ve registered a hat trick before tonight. Had you guessed he had at least one in his career, you would’ve been incorrect.
TAMPA BAY – With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed in the defending Stanley Cup champs the Washington Capitals. With three matchups in the next two weeks, the Lightning looked to get on the scoreboard early, and that they did.
TJ and Killer strike
With both teams trading opportunities early in the first, Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy made it a point to play at the top of their games. TJ Oshie would get the puck stripped off him as he headed into the Lightning’s defensive zone. Brayden Point skated the puck into the zone and found Tyler Johnson waiting right next to Holtby. Without any hesitation Johnson ripped a quick shot right into the open side of the net for a 1-0 Lightning lead.
This line CLICKS!#WSHvsTBL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/2SZFhRz4Vl
— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 16, 2019
Not to be outdone, Alex Killorn would wait a mere two minutes and two seconds before putting in his first of the night. Holtby went behind his net to clear the puck, following a great forecheck by the Lightning. Killorn waiting along the boards would wrist a shot towards the net, that went off defenseman Dmitry Orlov and past Holtby for a 2-0 Lightning lead. Capitals defenseman John Carlson would cut the lead in half just under two minutes later, but Killorn wasn’t done in the first period. Killorn would muscle his way through the offensive zone and slip a puck past Holby to regain the Lightning’s two goal lead 3-1.
WHAT. AN. EFFORT!!! 🔥#WSHvsTBL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/oSr1KCQtCN
— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 17, 2019
Ovechkin gets them within one
The second period was relatively quite, except for a bit of chippiness that is still boiling over from last season’s eastern conference final. Just past the quarter point of the second period league leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin would find an open spot and slip a puck past Vasilevskiy to cut the lead by one, 3-2. The rest of the period was quite with some good back and forth action between these eastern conference heavy hitters.
The rook gets #4
With the Bolts and Capitals battling along the boards, Erik Cernak would notch his fourth goal of the season and the teams fourth goal of the game early in the third. Ovechkin would once again strike for his second of the night to cut the lead to 4-3 nearly ten minutes later.
First career hat trick
In what was almost a carbon copy of his first goal of the night, Killorn would fire a shot on the empty net for career hat trick number one with 47 seconds remaining in the game. It’s shocking that in his seventh season in the league, he hadn’t notched a hat trick before tonight. Maybe that’s a sign of things to come for him as the team heads into the playoffs. His third goal of the night would give the Lightning a 5-3 lead late in the third. Yanni Gourde would seal the game 45 seconds later with two seconds remaining on the clock for a 6-3 Lightning victory.
Up Next
The Lightning will welcome in the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night at 7:30pm
Three Stars of the Game
3rd Star: Alex Ovechkin – 2 goals on the night.
2nd Star: Erik Cernak – Continues to play like a veteran defenseman in this league, notched his 4th goal of the season.
1st Star: Alex Killorn – Three goals, need we say more?
