Getting a goal, assist and fight in the same game is rare in regular circumstances, but doing so in the playoffs against the Presidents' Trophy winners is downright unthinkable.
Also known as a Gordie Howe hat trick, named after the late Detroit Red Wings legend who could hold his own on the scoresheet and with the gloves off, it involves registering a fighting major along with with a goal and helper. It has become something of a unicorn in modern hockey; in the postseason, when the frequency of fights drops off even more, recording the rare treble is nearly unheard of.
On Friday, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski collected a goal and dropped the gloves in the first period before completing the Gordie Howe hat trick with an assist early in the second period in Game 2 of Columbus' first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
MORE: Today's NHL playoffs scores, TV schedule, live updates
It all started at the midway mark of the opening period when Werenski collected a pass off the faceoff from Matt Duchene. The 21-year-old took a stride before unleashing a wrist shot that found its way through traffic and past Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for a power-play goal.
Minutes later, an unlikely fight broke out between Werenski and Lightning forward Brayden Point.
With a goal and a fight, #CBJ ’s Zach Werenski is an assist away from a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
— Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) April 12, 2019
Still 40 minutes left in this one.
📽: @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/2GgS7gBNZn
Then, less than 90 seconds into the second period, Werenski fed Duchene who buried his own rebound for a power-play goal that put Columbus up 3-0.
Duchene's goal was the Blue Jackets' seventh straight against the Lightning after Tampa Bay had built up a 3-0 first-period lead in Game 1. Columbus battled back to win that game 4-3 , with Werenski registering an assist on the winning goal.