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Adam Cracknell's hard work rewarded with first career hat trick

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DALLAS — In roughly a month Adam Cracknell will be a father.

He and his wife are expecting a baby girl, who is due on April 27. And at some point, once she’s old enough, Cracknell will be able to open a computer and show his daughter what happened on March 24, 2017.

“Hopefully YouTube is still around in many years and my daughter can watch and show her I was actually a good hockey player,” Cracknell said after scoring his first NHL hat trick in a 6-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

No one would have predicted Cracknell would have a hat trick this season. In fact most thought the 31-year-old was destined to spend this season in the AHL when the Stars signed him last July.

But in a disappointing season for the Stars, Cracknell has been one of the best stories.

He’s scored 10 of his 21 career NHL goals this season, has spent the whole season on one team (no trade or trips to the minors) for the first time in his career, and recently signed a contract for next season. To top it all off, he’s got his first professional hat trick and a great story for his future daughter.

“It’s always good to see those guys that put the work into it,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “He’s had a good year, a career year and shooting the puck well. He’s the first guy at the rink a lot of times. He’s a guy that’s always out there with our goalie coach shooting on the goaltender. It was fun to see. He had a fun night.”

Cracknell’s first goal the embodiment of the his season. He went hard to the net, pressured the competition and got rewarded.

His second goal as a bit prettier. On a rush with Jason Spezza, Cracknell fired a wrist shot past Aaron Dell to record the second two-goal game of his career.

During the second intermission Cracknell was trying to ignore how many goals he had scored.

“Everyone else in here was. I was trying not to think about it,” Cracknell said. “It’s like trying to pitch a perfect game and guys keep bringing it up.”

Cracknell completed the hat trick early in the third period when he scored on a short-handed, unassisted breakaway.

“I think (Aaron Dell) kind of just misplayed the puck, and I was coming off the bench so I figured I should just shoot it and hope for the best,” Cracknell said. “It was a great feeling.”

He had set a prior career-high when he scored five goals with the Vancouver Canucks last season.

Postgame video

The goals

Firt period

8:30 Adam Cracknell went hard to the net and got rewarded when Michael Haley kicked the puck into his own net. Stars 1, Sharks 0

Second period

1:58 Brett Ritchie scored his 14th goal of the season after a slick pass from Tyler Seguin. Stars 2, Sharks 0

5:19 Jamie Benn scored right off a face-off win by Cody Eakin. Stars 3, Sharks 0

7:08 Cracknell scored his second goal. This time finishing off a pass from Jason Spezza. Stars 4, Sharks 0

7:57 The Sharks scored 49 seconds after Cracknell’s goal. Stars 4, Sharks 1

Third period

4:59 Adam Cracknell completed the hat trick on a shorthanded breakaway. Stars 5, Sharks 1

5:20 John Klingberg scored 21 seconds later on a rush. Stars 6, Sharks 1

Injury update

Jason Spezza returned after missing two games with back spasms, while Jiri Hudler and Dan Hamhuis were both injury scratches with lower-body injuries.

Stars lineup

Benn-Eakin-Hemsky
Elie-Seguin-Ritchie
Shore-Faksa-Sharp
McKenzie-Cracknell-Spezza

Lindell-Klingberg
Oleksiak-Pateryn
Nemeth-Johns

Lehtonen

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