Adam Cracknell scores hat trick goal off bad Aaron Dell giveaway (Video)

A bad giveaway by San Jose Sharks backup goaltender Aaron Dell led to a hat trick goal by Dallas Stars forward Adam Cracknell in their Friday game at American Airlines Center.

Dell’s gaffe happened in the first five minutes of the third period. With a Sharks power play winding down Dell tried to quickly start a breakout up the middle of the ice to give his team one more chance with the man-advantage.

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Instead of hitting a teammate with the pass, Dell found Cracknell who came in alone on a breakaway. Cracknell then fired a forehand shot past Dell for the goal to put the game at 5-1 in favor of Dallas.

The goal was Cracknell’s 10th of the season and the hat trick was his first in the NHL. The Stars ended up beating the Sharks 6-1.

“I think he just kind of misplayed the puck as I was coming off the bench, and I figured I’d just shoot it and hope for the best,” Cracknell said according to the Dallas Morning News. “It was a great feeling, it doesn’t happen (often) so maybe it will happen more now.”

The defeat for the Sharks, last year’s Western Conference champions, continues a late season swoon where they have lost five games in a row. In that stretch they have scored just five goals.

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Though they’re firmly in the playoffs with 91 points, San Jose is probably starting to feel some urgency to get some wins to change the mood around the team heading into the postseason.

“That’s a month worth of mistakes in one night, so hopefully we get it out of the system,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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