New York Rangers forward Andrew Copp had planned on coming into tonight's game against the New York Islanders to make a difference. What he didn't plan on, was making history. What started as a goal off of a saucer feed from Artemi Panarin, quickly snowballed into Copp joining some elite Rangers' company… all in the first period.

The second goal of the night would also come off of another phenomenal pass from Panarin.

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After completing a first-period hat trick, Andrew Copp joins former Rangers Kelly Kisio (1986) and Don Raleigh (1948) as the only Rangers to ever tally three goals in the first stanza. The hot start would catapult the Rangers into a scoring frenzy, which currently has them leading 6-2 in the second half of the third period.

The 27-year-old Copp, who had 18 goals coming into tonight, has helped keep the Rangers keep pace with the Carolina Hurricanes and stay tied atop the NHL's Metropolitan Division with 106 points through 70 games.

The Rangers are pleased with Copp's contributions in such a short window. Last month the Rangers traded for Copp and a sixth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft from the Winnipeg Jets. In exchange, the Rangers traded forward Morgan Barron, two conditional second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick in 2023. Prior to the trade, the Ann Arbor, Michigan native has skated in 467 career NHL games, all with Winnipeg. There he tallied 74 goals and 110 assists for 184 points and a plus-56 rating. Copp has recorded double-digit goal totals in each of his last four seasons and 20 or more points in each of his last five seasons.