November 1st 2024.
Will Smith, the rookie center for the San Jose Sharks, has finally broken his scoreless streak after eight games. The 19-year-old, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored his first NHL goal in the first period of Thursday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Smith's goal came at the 6:52 mark, thanks to a pass from his linemate Luke Kunin. From the faceoff dot to the right of the Blackhawks' net, Smith fired off a quick shot that beat goalie Petr Mrazek and gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
After the game, Smith shared his excitement about finally seeing the puck go into the net. "I've had a lot of chances and seeing one go in definitely helps," he said during an interview on NBC Sports California. "Now the pressure's off, so I can just focus on playing my game."
At 19 years and 228 days old, Smith also made history as the youngest U.S.-born skater to score a goal with the Sharks. The previous record holder was Matt Nieto, who was 20 years and 337 days old when he scored his first NHL goal in 2013. Interestingly, that game was also a memorable one for another Sharks player, Tomas Hertl, who had four goals that night.
Despite Smith's goal, the Blackhawks quickly responded with two goals of their own, taking a 2-1 lead in just 1 minute and 37 seconds. Ryan Donato, a former Shark, scored his sixth goal of the season at the 7:29 mark, followed by Tyler Bertuzzi's goal just 50 seconds later.
It was a tough loss for the Sharks, but Smith's goal was a bright spot in the game. Before Thursday's game, he had averaged 13:34 of ice time per game and had 11 shots on net. With his first NHL goal under his belt, Smith is sure to gain even more confidence and continue to make an impact on the ice. Be sure to check back for updates on his progress and the Sharks' season.
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