John Carlson recorded the first hat trick of his 17-year NHL career, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a decisive 6-1 victory over the San José Sharks at Honda Center on Saturday. The win snapped the Ducks' six-game losing streak and marked their first triumph since March 26.

Carlson, a veteran defenseman acquired by Anaheim at the trade deadline, scored two power-play goals in the third period, completing his hat trick with just under six minutes remaining. This milestone made him the third defenseman in NHL history to achieve a hat trick after turning 36, joining Mathieu Schneider and Nicklas Lidstrom. Carlson has been a critical addition to the Ducks' lineup, tallying 12 points in 13 games while providing stability to one of the league’s weakest defensive units.

“The crowd was great tonight from puck drop, and I think we just kept feeding off that and played a really good game,” Carlson said following the matchup.

In addition to Carlson’s three goals, Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano each contributed a goal, while Beckett Sennecke added two assists. The Ducks jumped to a commanding 4-0 lead early and maintained momentum throughout the contest, dominating their Pacific Division rivals. Anaheim’s goaltender Lukas Dostal made 16 saves and nearly secured a shutout, which would have ended a 160-game drought dating back to last season’s opener—also played against the Sharks—but the visitors found the net late in the third period.

San José’s lone goal came from Shakir Mukhamadullin. Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov faced 27 shots in the loss. The Sharks had been in strong form recently, winning five of their last seven games and pushing to solidify their position in the playoff race.

With this victory, the Ducks moved into a tie with the Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division, improving their standing as the regular season nears its conclusion.