Vinnie Hinostroza helped lead the Arizona Coyotes to victory over their divisional rivals, earning the first hat-trick of his NHL career.
Hinostroza’s hat-trick came during a game where the former Chicago Blackhawk had a whopping eight shots, helping to extend the Coyotes’ hold on their wildcard playoff spot.
Entering the game, the Coyotes held a one-point lead over the Minnesota Wild, who they had leapfrogged to replace in the final wildcard place.
After the Coyotes’ huge win and the Wild’s loss to the Dallas Stars, who are the team directly ahead of the Coyotes in the Western Conference, Rick Tocchet‘s team now have a three-point buffer.