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Gustafsson hat trick powers Caps to 5-2 win over Toronto

(Erik Gustafsson. Caps Outsider)

The crowd assembled at Capital One Arena looking for a chance to witness Alex Ovechkin make history, but instead saw one of the most unexpected things that could’ve happened this season.

Defenseman Erik Gustafsson recorded a hat trick, his first three goals as a member of the team, to lift the Caps past Toronto with a 5-2. He scored in each period.

“Great, obviously. Scoring the first goal as a Cap, too, and get a hatty on that is pretty unbelievable,” Gustafsson said of his performance. “It was a great feeling … I kind of blacked out there for a little bit.