AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.

Click here to visit the new home of AOL News!

Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

Mason Raymond's Good Fortune Leads to Hat Trick

Dec 27, 2009 – 11:50 PM
Text Size
Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz %BloggerTitle%

Canucks forward Mason Raymond recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-1 win against Calgary on Sunday, and it wouldn't have happened had it not been for one of the flukiest goals of the NHL season.

With the Canucks leading, 3-1, with just over a minute to play in the first period, Raymond floated an innocent shot from the neutral zone that somehow found its way past Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.



As you might imagine, Kiprusoff was lifted from the game following the first period, surrendering four goals on 13 shots. Curtis McElhinney played the final two periods, stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced in relief. December has not been kind to the Flames as they've now lost eight of their past 11 games, including three in a row.

Meanwhile, Vancouver is headed in the opposite direction, winning three in a row and seven of nine to climb back into the top eight of the Western Conference.
Filed under: Sports

ON FACEBOOK