Pavol Regenda played his fourth game this season and 23rd overall in his NHL career on Sunday night. And it became his most memorable so far.
After Šimon Nemec, he is the second Slovak in the season and the 26th overall in the league to score a hat trick. He scored as many goals in one match as in his entire career. And he already has more in the NHL this season than in the AHL, where he played 28 games.
“I just try to play in front of the goal and I was rewarded for that,” he said modestly and a little disappointed as his San Jose lost 3-7 at home to Tampa Bay.
However, his statement perfectly describes his hat trick. He was well-deserved, but also a bit strange.
Before the first goal on the power play, the puck hit both posts of Vasilevsky’s goal. He scored the second one by accident when Liljegren’s shot brushed against his stick.
He scored the third in the 57th minute, when a thrown puck reached him and after several rebounds, he solved the situation in the simplest yet most effective way he could, that is, with a shot.
After four games played in the first team, he has five goals in his statistics. With an average of 1.25 goals scored per game, he is the best in the entire NHL.
In the match against Tampa Bay, he set a Slovak record. Since the beginning of the measurements, no Slovak has scored a hat trick in a shorter time on the ice than him. He played only 9 minutes and 11 seconds.
While the fans rejoice at his success and address ironic messages to the management, the club will probably not overestimate his hat trick, as evidenced by the coach’s post-match interview.
Four other Slovak hockey players were also in action that night, but none of them scored. Montreal with Juraj Slafkovský played against St. Louis with Dalibor Dvorský. Finally, St. Louis.
Morning with the NHL is an article in which we regularly address one topic from the best hockey league in the world and provide a short summary of the night’s events.
Regenda: I try to enjoy every day
Regenda’s name is associated with a never-ending battle for a position in the NHL, which is more unsuccessful than successful. And this despite the fact that in the first team of the Sharks he helps with exactly what is asked of him.
The fans did not forget to mention it in the discussions after Regenda’s hat trick.
