Sharks rookie has premonition, scores twice for first NHL points

SAN JOSE – The wait is over for San Jose Sharks rookie center Will Smith — in a big way.

After going without a point in his first eight games with the Sharks, Smith scored his first two NHL goals during Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

After scoring his first goal at the 6:52 mark of the opening period, Smith picked up a second at the 10:42 mark of the second period, as his power-play goal gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead.

In the first period, Smith was stationed near the faceoff dot to the right of the Blackhawks net. He took a pass from linemate Luke Kunin and quickly fired it past Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve had a lot of chances, and seeing one go in definitely helps,” Smith said on NBC Sports California at the first intermission. “Now the pressure’s off, so just play.”

That’s what Smith did.

With Blackhawks winger Craig Smith serving a penalty, Will Smith collected a loose puck near the slot and again used his quick release to fire a shot past a frozen Mrazek.

With the first goal, Smith, at 19 years and 228 days old, became the youngest U.S.-born skater to score a goal with the Sharks. Matt Nieto previously held the honor. He was 20 years and 337 days old when he scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 8, 2013, in what was a 9-2 Sharks win over the New York Rangers.

That game was the third of Nieto’s NHL career, as it was for Tomas Hertl, who had four goals that night at SAP Center.

Smith had a meeting with Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky on Thursday and apparently knew he was going to have a big night.

Just hours before Thursday’s game, Sharks radio play-by-play voice Dan Rusanowsky walked by Smith in a hallway near the San Jose locker room and wished him good luck.

Smith, per Rusanowsky, replied, “Tonight’s the night.”

The 19-year-old Smith was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and led all NCAA Division I players last season with 71 points in 41 games. This season, before Thursday, Smith had averaged 13:34 in ice time per game with 11 shots on net.

The Blackhawks responded with two goals in the next 1:37 to take a 2-1 lead.

Former Shark forward Ryan Donato scored his sixth goal of the season at the 7:29 mark, and Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Blackhawks the lead just 50 seconds later.

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