Savoie’s wild hat trick

Matt Savoie scored the first hat trick of his National Hockey League career Thursday night, and he got all three goals in the opening period for Edmonton. (nhl.com) Savoie’s three-goal burst helped the Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 in their regular-season finale on April 16 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Connor McDavid assisted on all three Savoie goals, and Edmonton clinched second place in the Pacific Division with the win. (nhl.com) The box score credited Savoie with three goals on six shots in 15:59 of ice time, including one power-play goal. McDavid finished with four assists, Evan Bouchard had three assists, and Edmonton outscored Vancouver 4-1 in the first period. (espn.com) The result set Edmonton’s first-round playoff matchup with the Anaheim Ducks, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday on Oilers home ice. The Oilers had entered the night off two straight losses and needed the win to lock in home-ice advantage. (espn.com) Savoie is 22 and arrived in Edmonton in a July 5, 2024 trade that sent Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo had drafted him ninth overall in 2022, and the Oilers acquired him as a local prospect from nearby St. Albert, Alberta. (nhl.com) His 2025-26 regular-season line reached 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points after Thursday’s game. The hat trick accounted for 20% of his season goals in one night. (espn.com) McDavid said after the game that he and Savoie were “building something a little bit” on their line, while Savoie said it was “nice to have Hyman back” after Zach Hyman missed the previous five games. Vancouver defenseman Filip Hronek said, “We were not ready for it.” (nhl.com) For Savoie, the night closed the regular season with the kind of stat line that usually belongs to veterans: three goals, one period, one hat trick, and a playoff opener waiting next. (nhl.com)