Brayden Point: Tampa Bay Lightning player secures hat trick in incredible fashion

CNN
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Tampa Bay Lightning star Brayden Point scored his fifth hat trick NHL career in bizarre fashion Thursday during his team’s 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Point was awarded his third goal of the game at Amalie Arena when Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren tried to play the puck behind him, but instead put it into his own net. The mistake didn’t prove costly, however, as Tom Wilson put the Caps ahead with a power-play goal late in the third period.

“I kind of laughed to myself,” Lindgren told reporters after the game. “It was probably the worst make I’ve ever done in terms of on ice … I don’t know what I was thinking. The guys picked me up and I have a lot of respect for those guys.”

Lindgren continued to play a vital role in the Caps’ win, making every save after his gaffe midway through the third frame and finished with 25 total saves.

“Flaws happen in the game,” Point said. “He kind of threw it in there, but he made some great saves down the stretch.”

Tampa Bay had led for much of the game behind Point’s early goals and one from Michael Eyssimont, but Andrew Mangiapane, Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome all scored for the Capitals.

With the game tied at 3-3, Point’s hat trick gave the Lightning the lead before John Carlson and Wilson put the Capitals ahead. They move to 15-6-1 on the season, while the Lightning are 11-8-2.

“I thought tonight that both teams probably deserved a point … everything was pretty much even,” Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper, coaching his 900th NHL game, told reporters afterward.