Hockey legend Gordie Howe turned 81 on Tuesday. Ever since the 1950s, the term "Gordie Howe hat trick" has been used to describe a player scoring a goal, picking up an assist, and getting into a fight during a game. On Howe's 81st birthday, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara found a fun way to celebrate. He picked up a Gordie Howe hat trick in a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay.
Going in chronological order, Chara's fight came first. It was a first-period scrap with Evgeny Artyukhin.
In the second period, Chara snuck down the right wing to get his 17th goal of the season off a great pass from Patrice Bergeron.
Later in the period, his point shot was tipped home by Chuck Kobasew to complete the feat.
Most importantly, Chara didn't get hurt fighting a guy with a visor, and the Bruins moved closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
