10/17/2026 07:53:00
Printable Page
10/17 19:51 CDT Verhaeghe, Bennett each get hat tricks, Panthers roll past
Kraken 8-3
Verhaeghe, Bennett each get hat tricks, Panthers roll past Kraken 8-3
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) --- Carter Verhaeghe had a history-making natural hat trick,
Sam Bennett scored his first three goals of the season and the Florida Panthers
rolled past the Seattle Kraken 8-3 on Saturday night.
The Panthers became the first team in NHL history with natural hat tricks in
three consecutive games, after Brady Tkachuk had them in wins over Columbus on
Tuesday and Vancouver on Thursday. Florida also became only the third team in
30 years to have a hat trick --- of any variety --- in three consecutive games.
With four hat tricks already this season --- all coming in the last three games
--- Florida has matched its total from the last three regular seasons combined.
Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, and Matthew Tkachuk
had three assists.
Freddy Gaudreau, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans had goals for Seattle, while
Kaapo Kakko and Berkly Catton both had two-assist games.
Verhaeghe got his first two goals of the night 1:11 apart late in the first
period, then struck again with 13:58 left in the second to push Florida's lead
to 4-1. Bennett opened the scoring for Florida just 1:05 into the game, and he
added goals in both the second and third periods.
Former Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich made his return to Florida, after
joining the Kraken this offseason.
Samoskevich scored 27 goals in 156 games with Florida over the last three
seasons, getting his name on the Stanley Cup after the Panthers won their
second consecutive title in 2025. Florida traded him to Seattle in June for a
pair of picks, one of which was used that same day to help complete the
Panthers' trade with Ottawa for Brady Tkachuk.
Samoskevich had three goals and an assist for the Kraken in their first seven
games.
Up next
Kraken: Host Detroit on Tuesday.
Panthers: Visit Ottawa on Wednesday.
___
See AP's full NHL coverage here
|
