Anthony Mantha has Gordie Howe hat trick in Flames debut
If he hadn’t already, Anthony Mantha’s performance in Wednesday’s series opener surely endeared himself to his Calgary Flames teammates.
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If he hadn’t already, Anthony Mantha’s performance in Wednesday’s series opener surely endeared himself to his Calgary Flames teammates.
In his debut regular-season performance donning the flaming C, Mantha scored a goal, dropped the gloves then added an assist to complete the second Gordie Howe hat trick of his career.
Mantha tallied the first third of the feat in the first period with a short-handed goal — sprung as he exited the penalty box after his infraction — to get the Flames on the board against the Vancouver Canucks.
He dropped the gloves in the dying seconds against Canucks forward J.T. Miller to avenge a hit against teammate Kevin Rooney, then tallied his assist on the Flames’ third goal of the night.
Not only did he make history as the first to net a Gordie Howe hat trick in his Flames debut in franchise history, he’s also the first Flame to achieve the feat since Alex Chiasson in 2016.
On a rebuilding Flames team not expected to make the playoffs, Mantha might just be the sparkplug that fans and teammates alike can rally around.
