Will Smith scores twice for first NHL goals, Sharks beat Blackhawks 3-2 for third straight win

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Will Smith scored twice for his first NHL goals, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday.

The Sharks have won three straight after going winless in their first nine games, while the Blackhawks have dropped five of their last six.

On a power play midway through the second period, Smith – the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft – scored the winning goal with a wrist shot off the crossbar.

Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi scored 50 seconds apart in the first period to give Chicago a 2-1 lead, with Connor Murphy assisting on both goals. Donato’s goal was 37 seconds after Smith opened the scoring.

Alexander Wennberg tied the game at 2 early in the second for San Jose.

Mackenzie Blackwood and Petr Mrazek each stopped 26 shots, but Blackwood will be credited with the win.

Takeaways

Blackhawks: Donato scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season and his fourth in the last three games.

Sharks: San Jose had just one three-game win streak last season, when it finished with the worst record in the league.

Key moment

Blackwood and the Sharks killed a late 6-on-4 push from the Blackhawks to hold on to the lead after Chicago pulled the goalie and Fabian Zetterlund committed a late penalty with 1:19 to play.

Key stat

Smith became the youngest U.S.-born skater to score a goal with the Sharks. The 19-year-old had gone without a point through his first eight NHL games before scoring twice.

Up Next

The Blackhawks visit the Kings on Saturday, while the Sharks host the Canucks the same day.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Eric He, The Associated Press