Photo: CANDICE WARD/CALGARY HITMEN
Washington Capitals center prospect Eric Florchuk, the last player selected in the 2018 NHL entry draft (seventh round, #217 overall) recorded a natural hat trick on Monday at the Saddledome in Calgary. All three goals came in the first period of the Saskatoon Blades 9-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen Monday afternoon.
“It was nice to get those early. Just glad I could bury the opportunities when they came.”, Florchuk said after the game. “Our purpose was to come out here with a very good start on a 2 o’clock game on a Monday and get after them early. We ended up doing that and just kept the pedal to the metal.”
Florchuk, 19, missed five games due to an upper body injury he sustained in the first period of the season opener against the Prince Albert Raiders.
The hat trick marked the first three-goal performance of Florchuk’s WHL career. For the season, Florchuk has four goals and an assist on 13 shots in six games played. He has four goals in his last three games.
In 2018-2019, Florchuk played in 68 regular season games for the Saskatoon Blades and 10 playoff games. He had 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points overall, was +10, and also had 40 penalty minutes. The Saskatoon Blades finished in second place in the strong Eastern Division of the WHL, and ultimately eliminated in the second round of the WHL playoffs.
By Jon Sorensen
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Thanks for this excellent positive news, Jon!
How can one not like Eric Florchuk? The Last Man Standing in the NHL Draft. He needs to be in Hershey soon.
I’ve torn out what little hair I have left watching the 2019-20 Caps. The other night Tom Wilson remarked, “We’re playing pretty good hockey.” Caps indeed are more aggressive and I like the Game Plan in general. But the goals keep cascading into the Caps’ net.
Defensive breakdowns? Absolutely. Piz-poor goaltending? You bet. It’s frustrating when the Caps fail the “Visual Test” but management doesn’t “see it” or prefers not to address the problem. A returning Kempny will do wonders for the situation. But it’s harder to admit that your precious, expensive, walk-on-water goalie is finished as a top-flight NHL player. He is.
A big inflection point coming up for the Caps. Lots and LOTS of games in the next three weeks. If we wake up to a losing record on 01 November. I’m all for a coaching replacement.
And Richard Panik still is 0-for-Washington. So is Carl Hagelin. Failed experiment! Where’s the accountability?
You have to root for any players selected last in a draft.
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They should name him “Loose Change” after those highlights.
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