As the Sharks find themselves on a roll, they once again were reminded just how bright the future can be as San Jose scratches the surface of the vast potential that potentially looms ahead.
Rookie center Will Smith -- selected No. 4 overall by the Sharks in the 2023 draft -- netted the first two goals of his NHL career while propelling San Jose to a third consecutive victory with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night at SAP Center.
"It feels great, it's about time," Smith told NBC Sports California's Drew Remenda after scoring his first NHL goal in Thursday's win. "It's a dream come true, doing it for a team like this. Got three wins in a row, so it's nice."
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"It feels great, about time."
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 1, 2024
Will Smith is all smiles after netting his first two NHL goals tonight 🙌 pic.twitter.com/iP2z64zCGp
Smith's first career goal opened the scoring Thursday, as the rookie ripped a wrister into the top shelf over the right shoulder of Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek.
WILL SMITH GOES TOP SHELF FOR HIS FIRST NHL GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MraaGZMXri
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 1, 2024
Smith's encore goal was just as impressive, sniping another wrister past Mrazek to give San Jose a lead it wouldn't relinquish while securing the Sharks' third straight win.
San Jose Sharks
Veteran center Luke Kunin was thrilled to see Smith finally break through and get his first goal, applauding his young teammates' epic Halloween performance.
"It was great. Obviously all the guys are excited for him," Kunin said on "Sharks Postgame Live" after Thursday's win. "He had a great game tonight. That's always a relief for him, everyone. to get that first one out of the way. That was well deserved for sure."
"That was well deserved for sure."
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 1, 2024
Luke Kunin praises Will Smith's big night 🤝 pic.twitter.com/skI2jBBPNV
After a historically brutal start to the 2024-25 NHL season, the Sharks quickly turned a corner with an impressive run that began with an improbable comeback victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday night.
With No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini also returning to practice for a full morning skate before Thursday's win, San Jose appears to be finding its mojo after a rough stretch out of the gate.
There still is a large portion of the mountain left to be climbed as the Sharks execute an ambitious rebuild, one that's heavily dependent on the continued growth and eventual ceilings of San Jose's consecutive top-five draft picks, Smith and Celebrini.
However, both now have given the home crowd at SAP Center a glimpse of what possibly awaits down the line with standout performances on home ice before the calendar turned to November.
The future will sort itself out in time, but for now, Smith can relish in the game where he truly arrived at the NHL level and made a statement that he not only belongs, but figures to be a franchise fixture for years to come.
Where will the puck go from the milestone moment Smith bagged his first goal?
"Mom and dad," Smith said.
With the way Smith looked tonight, mom and dad might have to expedite plans to accommodate a lot more puck storage.
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