SAN JOSE – Will Smith scored twice for the primary factors of his NHL profession, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood got here up with a number of key saves within the late going because the San Jose Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday for his or her third straight victory.
After scoring his first objective on the 6:52 mark of the opening interval, Smith picked up a second on the 10:42 mark of the second interval, as his power-play objective gave the Sharks a 3-2 lead.
The Sharks held on from there, choosing up simply their second three-game win streak for the reason that begin of the 2023-24 season.
Blackwood made 13 saves within the third interval when the Blackhawks spent a number of shifts hemming the Sharks in their very own zone. He completed with 29 saves.
Alexander Wennberg additionally scored for the Sharks, who proceed their homestand on Saturday in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks.
After going with no level in his first eight video games with the Sharks, Smith scored his first two NHL targets Thursday.
Smith was stationed close to the faceoff dot to the best of the Blackhawks internet within the first interval. He took a cross from linemate Luke Kunin and shortly fired it previous Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek to present the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
“I’ve had a lot of chances, and seeing one go in definitely helps,” Smith mentioned on NBC Sports activities California on 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 unfastened puck close to the slot and once more used his fast launch to fireplace a shot previous a frozen Mrazek.
With the primary objective, Smith, at 19 years and 228 days previous, grew to become the youngest U.S.-born skater to attain a objective with the Sharks. Matt Nieto beforehand held the glory. He was 20 years and 337 days previous when he scored his first NHL objective on Oct. 8, 2013, in a 9-2 Sharks win over the New York Rangers.
That sport was the third of Nieto’s NHL profession, because it was for Tomas Hertl, who had 4 targets that night time at SAP Middle.
Smith met with Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky on Thursday and apparently knew he was going to have an enormous night time.
Simply hours earlier than Thursday’s sport, Sharks radio play-by-play voice Dan Rusanowsky walked by Smith in a hallway close to 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 general decide within the 2023 NHL Draft, and led all NCAA Division I gamers final season with 71 factors in 41 video games. This season, earlier than Thursday, Smith had averaged 13:34 in ice time per sport with 11 pictures on internet.
The Blackhawks responded with two targets within the subsequent 1:37 to take a 2-1 lead.
Former Shark ahead Ryan Donato scored his sixth objective of the season on the 7:29 mark, and Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Blackhawks the lead simply 50 seconds later.
Initially Printed: October 31, 2024 at 9:59 PM PDT
