Sharks Roll Past Mammoth Behind Smith’s Red-Hot Night
Let me walk you through this one, because the Sharks and Mammoth put on a game that really felt like a momentum swing unfolding in real time. The Sharks ended up taking this matchup 6–3, and the big story of the night was Will Smith continuing the kind of scoring stretch that makes everyone sit up a little straighter. Two more goals were added by him, plus an assist, and it feels like he’s settling into that rhythm where everything just slows down in front of him.
Right from the opening minutes, San Jose looked sharper. Tyler Toffoli kicked the scoring off early, finishing a perfect setup from Smith after a pass was stolen behind the net. It set the tone immediately — the Sharks were pressuring, forcing mistakes, and making Utah work for every inch. Not long after, Pavol Regenda found himself in the right place at the right time, redirecting a power-play shot off his skate to give San Jose a 2–0 cushion. And remember, this was his season debut — talk about showing up ready.
Also Read:Utah did push back, with Lawson Crouse tapping in a beautiful cross-crease feed to cut the lead. But Toffoli answered right away, burying his second of the period off a clean face-off win from Macklin Celebrini. That goal not only restored the two-goal lead, it also ended Karel Vejmelka’s night early. The Mammoth turned to Vitek Vanecek to steady things, and to his credit, JJ Peterka gave Utah a little spark by roofing one to make it 3–2 before the first intermission.
But the second period belonged to San Jose. Smith’s first goal of the night was a highlight — a smooth toe drag through traffic followed by a quick finish through the five-hole. It was one of those plays where you can almost hear the crowd gasp before the puck hits the net. Adam Gaudette then extended the lead with a backhander after a turnover that William Eklund forced high in the zone.
And then Smith struck again. Another rush, another slick toe drag, another perfect finish — this time low glove. Suddenly it was 6–2, and the Sharks were firmly in control. Utah did manage a short-handed goal in the third thanks to a crafty redirect by Crouse, but by then the outcome was basically sealed.
Yaroslav Askarov quietly had a strong night in net with 31 saves, while Celebrini stacked up three primary assists, showing exactly why he’s becoming such a central piece of this Sharks offense. Utah, meanwhile, dropped its fourth straight and continues to search for consistency despite strong individual performances.
So that’s how it unfolded — a fast start, a brilliant night from Smith and Toffoli, and a confident San Jose team that never really looked rattled.
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