Carter Verhaeghe scored a natural hat trick as the Florida Panthers beat the Seattle Kraken 8-3 on Saturday, making NHL history with three consecutive games featuring natural hat tricks. Verhaeghe’s three goals came after Brady Tkachuk recorded natural hat tricks in the Panthers’ wins over Columbus on Tuesday and Vancouver on Thursday, setting a league first.
The Panthers have now notched four hat tricks this season, all within their last three games, matching their total from the previous three regular seasons combined. Sam Bennett scored three goals of his own, all his first of the season, while Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart added single goals. Matthew Tkachuk contributed three assists to Florida’s offensive display.
Bennett opened the scoring just over a minute into the game and added goals in the second and third periods. Verhaeghe scored his first two goals late in the first period within 71 seconds and completed his natural hat trick with a goal early in the second period, pushing the Panthers ahead 4-1.
Seattle’s goals came from Freddy Gaudreau, Shane Wright, and Ryker Evans. Kaapo Kakko and Berkly Catton each recorded two assists. The Kraken have struggled to contain Florida’s offense, which has been firing on all cylinders in recent matches.
This game also marked the return of former Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich to Florida, now playing for Seattle. Samoskevich spent three seasons with Florida, scoring 27 goals in 156 games and was part of the team’s Stanley Cup-winning roster in 2025. He was traded to Seattle in June for draft picks, one of which helped Florida acquire Brady Tkachuk.
Samoskevich has had a strong start with the Kraken, tallying three goals and an assist in their first seven games. His presence added an extra dimension to Seattle’s attack, but it was not enough to stem Florida’s scoring spree.
The Panthers’ offensive surge continues to raise questions about the Kraken’s defensive setup, as Florida maintains momentum from their recent winning streak. The Panthers will visit Ottawa on Wednesday, while the Kraken prepare to host Detroit on Tuesday.
According to Yahoo Sports.