Jordan Eberle made history for the Seattle Kraken, netting the team’s first-ever hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Eberle’s three goals came in a 9:41 span during the second and third periods, marking a monumental moment for the expansion team. Just seconds after Buffalo took the lead, Eberle’s quick response shifted the momentum in Seattle’s favor.
“It’s an honor, really special,” said Eberle. “I’ve had a couple of hat tricks before, but to get the first in Kraken history, especially here at home, is something I’ll always remember.”
Buffalo, playing after the emotional trade of former captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier in the day, couldn’t snap a three-game losing streak on their West Coast road trip. The Sabres maintained their focus despite the distractions, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Seattle.
Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski, who made 33 saves, noted, “We addressed the Eichel situation earlier, but once it’s game time, we’re focused. It was a tough loss, but we knew our job.”
Seattle ended its two-game losing skid and tied its season-high for goals. Morgan Geekie opened the scoring for the Kraken, and Jaden Schwartz added two assists and an empty-net goal to seal the win. Alex Wennberg also contributed two assists.
Eberle, however, was the star of the night. After Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal, Eberle responded just 26 seconds later to tie the game. Eberle then added his second goal early in the third period, beating Tokarski with a sharp shot. He completed the hat trick with a slap shot at 8:06 into the period, sending the crowd into a frenzy as hats rained down on the ice.
This was Eberle’s fourth career hat trick and his first since February 2020. He now has five goals in his last five games after struggling earlier in the season.
“When you’re getting those chances and finishing, the confidence starts to build,” Eberle said.
Buffalo’s Tage Thompson scored his third goal of the season, while Okposo added his third as well. Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves in a game where he wasn’t heavily tested.
The Sabres played without their top scorer, Victor Olofsson, who missed his second consecutive game for undisclosed reasons.
Fight Night
The Kraken’s home crowd saw their first true fight at Climate Pledge Arena when Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak squared off with Buffalo’s John Hayden late in the first period. Oleksiak landed a few punches and took Hayden down to the ice. The Kraken capitalized soon after, scoring their first goal just as the resulting power play ended.
Game Notes
- Rasmus Asplund extended his point streak to five games with an assist on Thompson’s goal.
- The last expansion team to record a hat trick was the Vegas Golden Knights, with William Karlsson accomplishing the feat in March 2018.
- Seattle went 0 for 4 on the power play and is now 3 for 36 on the season.
UP NEXT
- Sabres: Host Detroit on Saturday.
- Kraken: Travel to Arizona on Saturday.
