Andre Burakovsky’s Hat Trick Lifts Colorado Over Florida, 3-2

Andre Burakovsky had a hat trick, and scored all three goals for the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night, defeating the Florida Panthers 3-2. Along with Burakovsky’s hat trick, Nathan MacKinnon and Mitto Rantanen would add two and three assists respectively on the hat trick. Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 of 31 shots for Colorado.

First Period:

The slow game for the Florida Panthers from Friday’s game continued. There were not many shots taken, eventually ending the period at nine shots even per team.

The key moment in the first period was when Panthers F Patric Hornqvist got cut with a skate with 1:17 left in the period. He would get cut in the side by an Avalanche defenseman and would skate it off. He is questionable until an official statement is released.

Second Period:

Ryan Lomberg would come out quickly, giving Avalanche defenseman Jacob MacDonald a hard check 2:12 into the period. MacDonald would have to be stretched off the ice but arena announcers announced he was still at the arena and responsive. Lomberg would not receive a penalty but the big hits would continue.

Andre Burakovsky would score on the power play with 23 seconds left in the period when Nathan MacKinnon would skate up-ice, pass to Rantanen, and would find Burakovsky, who tipped it on the top shelf past Sergei Bobrovsky.

Third Period:

Colorado would double its lead 2:03 in the third period when Burakovsky would dangle the puck past three Panthers defensemen on an odd-man rush.

Jumbo Joe Thornton and Brandon Montour would score 2:34 apart to tie the game at two. Thornton would score on the power play off a one-timer from Carter Verhaeghe. Montour would tie the game at two when Verhaeghe would again set up Montour for a wrister past Kuemper.

Burakovsky would finish off the hat trick with a wrister from near half-ice off a pass from Rantanen.

Despite the two-man advantage to end the game, the Panthers failed to tie the game. They were stopped by Kuemper and Erik Johnson.

Next Up:

The Florida Panthers will return home for back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings.

(Featured image by David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

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