Goals aplenty! A season-high 4 hat tricks in Wednesday's NHL action

There were plenty of goals scored in the NHL on Wednesday night and four players accounted for a bulk of them.

Minnesota's Joel Eriksson Ek and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini traded hat tricks in one contest, and Toronto's Matthew Knies, Philadelphia's Tyson Foerster also had three-goal games. The four three-goal efforts in the first three games of the five-game schedule were the most in the NHL since five hat tricks on April 1, 2023.

In the highest scoring game of the night, Eriksson Ek had a career-high four goals in his return from a lower-body injury in the Wild's 8-7 overtime victory over the Sharks. San Jose was led by Celebrini, a rookie star who finished with three goals and two assists.

Knies had his second hat trick of the season for the Maple Leafs in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Foerster posted his first NHL hat trick for the Flyers in an 8-5 win over the New York Rangers.

The NHL had three-hat trick days this season on Dec. 12, Dec. 27, Jan. 8 and April 5.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) prepares to score past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Philadelphia Flyers' Tyson Foerster (71) celebrates with teammates after scoring an empty-net goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71), middle, celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14), left, celebrates toward left wing Matt Boldy (12) after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)