Cullen strikes with first career hat trick
Feb 23, 2009
Tags: Hockey, Carolina Hurricanes
Would you believe that Matt Cullen has not had a hat trick in his 11 year NHL career? That was the case until Sunday when he scored three goals to help the Hurricanes beat the Avalanche at the RBC Center 5-2.
"No I was surprised when I heard that," head coach Paul Maurice said after Sunday's win. "Especially when he played here last time, the game was so wide open that year alone, the team was humping on the power play... I was a little surprised."
We can get on Cullen and say this hat trick was a stat buffer because one of the goals was on an empty net with 32 seconds left in the game. But hey, the man put them in the net and it counts all the same. He also notched his 400th career point when he scored his second goal.
Cullen is actually after his best goal scoring season of his long career this season. With 21 games left this season he already sits on 19 goals, only six short of his career best in 2005-06. He has seven goals (hat trick helps) in his last ten games.
