ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has called Ondrej Kase the “Energizer Bunny” of his team.
Kase certainly had plenty of jump Wednesday night, rallying Anaheim to its seventh victory in eight games.
The 23-year-old forward from the Czech Republic got his first NHL hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Anaheim trailed 3-2 at the end of the second period but scored four goals in the third, including three in a three-minute span to take control.
“He’s a guy that numerous times has been a clutch goal scorer. He’s the type of player that seems to hound the puck and be effective and now he’s being rewarded,” Carlyle said.
Kase completed his hat trick at 10:45 of the third when he pounced on a loose puck in front and put it past goalie Ben Bishop to tie the game at 3. Cam Fowler had Anaheim’s only other hat trick this season on Nov. 4 against Columbus.
“I just closed my eyes and shot the puck. I had room, so I just tried to hit the net,” said Kase, who has played 134 career games. “It was amazing. I’m so happy.”
Brandon Montour, who had four points in the final 20 minutes, gave Anaheim the lead 81 seconds later when he connected on a slap shot after Bishop was knocked down by one of his own players.
Jakob Silfverberg then scored for the fourth straight game when he tapped in the puck with his skate on a breakaway to extend the lead. Hampus Lindholm added an empty-net goal as Anaheim got its sixth win when trailing after two periods. John Gibson stopped 26 shots.
Kase missed the first 18 games of the season after sustaining a concussion in the final preseason game but has a point in nine of the 15 games he has played. The right wing has five goals and four assists in the past five games.
“He’s got such a different skill level with his speed, his hands and his offensive instincts. It’s tough for defensemen to challenge,” said Montour, who had a career-high three assists.
Miro Heiskanen, Blake Comeau and Alexander Radulov scored in a five-minute span during the second period for Dallas, which has dropped its last two games after winning four straight. Devin Shore added two assists.
“It was a tale of three periods,” said Bishop, who made 30 saves. “I think they obviously took it to us in the first. We took it to them in the second. Then, they took it back in the third.”
Kase opened the scoring less than seven minutes into the game when he took a pass from Pontus Aberg in front and beat Bishop for his third goal in four games.
Heiskanen evened it on the power play when he got the rebound of a shot by Jason Spezza and fired a slap shot past Gibson. Two minutes later, Dallas took the lead when Shore fed Comeau near the far post for a wide-open shot. Rudulov gave the Stars their second power-play goal of the period with a high wrist shot from the right circle.
Kase pulled the Ducks to 3-2 late in the second with a wrist shot that went between Bishop’s legs.
MILESTONE NIGHT
Ryan Getzlaf had two assists to become the second player in Anaheim history to go over 900 points in his career. The Anaheim captain, who has 901 points (255 goals, 646 assists), is the eighth active skater to reach that milestone. Teemu Selanne is the franchise leader with 988 points.
“It’s another step along the way. I’m in good company with Teemu and he’s a good guy to be chasing,” Getzlaf said.
NOTES: Dallas won the season series 2-1. … Anaheim has won its last six at home against the Stars. … Anaheim had a season-high 15 shots in the first period. The last time it had 15 or more in the first 20 minutes was 16 against Colorado on April 1 last season. … It is the fifth time this season the Stars have scored three or more goals in the second period. Three of those games have been against the Ducks. … Heiskanen, who leads NHL rookie defensemen with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), has scored a point in three straight games (two goals, two assists). … Spezza has an assist in three consecutive games.
UP NEXT
Stars: Continue their road trip Thursday at San Jose.
Ducks: Begin their longest road trip of the season (six games) on Saturday in Columbus.
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