Andrew Copp came ready to play Thursday night.
The New York Rangers forward buried three consecutive goals in the opening frame against the Islanders.
Copp one-timed a feed from Artemi Panarin for his first of the period.
Andrew Copp trails the rush and bangs home Artemi Panarin's heads-up saucer pass to open the scoring for the Rangers!#NYR pic.twitter.com/OjzYBn4Nnu
— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) April 22, 2022
Panarin found Copp again for the American's second of the night.
Andrew Copp gets open backdoor and wires home Panarin's gorgeous pass for his second goal of the first period!#NYR pic.twitter.com/drEs2EyvxB
— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) April 22, 2022
Copp then completed the natural hat trick off a pass from Ryan Strome.
COPP AGAIN! Andrew Copp finishes off the natural hat trick, trickling home Strome's wonderful return pass at the back post! Three goals in the first, what a period!
— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) April 22, 2022
🎩🎩🎩#NYR pic.twitter.com/s3BDggLreu
Copp became only the third Rangers player ever to net three goals in the first period, joining Kelly Kisio in 1986 and Don Raleigh in 1948. No Rangers skater had scored a natural hat trick in the first period since Raleigh did it 74 years ago.
Unfortunately for the current New York forward, he left the game in the third period. The Rangers said postgame that he sustained a lower-body injury and that they will issue an update Friday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
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