SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: San Jose Sharks’ Timo Meier (28) celebrates his aim, a hat trick, towards the Los Angeles Kings within the first interval on the SAP Middle in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
SAN JOSE – Sharks ahead Timo Meier had already scored his record-setting fifth aim in Monday’s sport with the Los Angeles Kings, a slick toe-drag round defenseman Drew Doughty earlier than a top-corner snipe previous goalie Jonathan Fast, when a smallish however delirious crowd began to chant his title.
“It’s particular. It’s virtually, you possibly can’t describe it,” Meier mentioned when requested concerning the crowd. “Yeah, very particular, goosebump feeling. Our followers have been nice. So it’s simply actually, actually cool.”
The “Timo, Timo, Timo” chant from the introduced crowd of 10,705 continued sporadically all through the remainder of the afternoon, placing an exclamation level on the Sharks’ 6-2 win over the Kings in an unforgettable afternoon at SAP Middle.
Meier’s three first-period objectives in 19:09 set a Sharks single-game report for the quickest hat trick from the beginning of a sport in franchise historical past (19:09). He then scored his fourth and fifth objectives within the second interval to stake the Sharks to a 6-1 lead.
Meier’s fourth’s aim got here from a pointy angle on a Sharks energy play, as he took a move from Erik Karlsson and fired it over Fast’s shoulder on the 1:24 mark of the second interval.
Meier’s fifth aim got here with 27.1 seconds left within the second, as he took a move from Tomas Hertl, prevented Doughty’s stick, and fired the puck previous goalie Fast for his twentieth marker of the season.
“If you really feel like issues are going your approach within the sport, then you definitely positively really feel extra snug with the puck,” Meier mentioned, “and possibly attempt to shoot from a spot the place you wouldn’t shoot in one other sport.”
Hertl assisted on 4 of Meier’s objectives and Karlsson assisted on three, giving him 500 assists for his NHL profession.
“It’s all the time good to see guys have these accomplishments like that. It raises the spirit of the entire crew,” Karlsson mentioned. “I feel it was a giant sport for us.”
Goalie James Reimer, making his first begin since Jan. 4, stopped 29 photographs within the first two intervals because the Sharks rebounded from losses to the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins final week. The Sharks had been outshot by the Kings 41-17.
San Jose (21-17-2, 44 factors) is now one level again of each Los Angeles and Anaheim for second place within the Pacific Division. The Sharks try to place far between themselves and different contending groups like Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, who've fewer factors however a number of video games in hand as a result of COVID-related postponements.
The Sharks, now 6-3-1 since Christmas, play in Seattle on Thursday. Meier’s 5 objectives got here on simply his first six photographs because the Sharks capped their four-game homestand with a 2-1-1 report.
“We did what we wanted to do, however on the identical time, I don’t assume that this was one of many higher video games that we’ve performed this yr,” Karlsson mentioned. “We’ve acquired to maintain shifting ahead. We get one other divisional sport arising.”
Meier had alternatives to attain a sixth aim towards the Kings however wasn’t in a position to end, one of many few issues that didn’t go his approach Monday. 
“I all the time need to rating objectives,” Meier mentioned when requested if he wished six. “You don’t actually assume an excessive amount of about that. The primary focus is to win the sport. Clearly, after the sport, you notice that stuff.”
Meier’s first two objectives got here on the 3:02 and 18:48 marks of the opening interval. He then accomplished the hat trick, the second of his profession, with 51 seconds left within the first as he scored off an help from Hertl.
Meier now has 45 factors in 35 video games, already effectively previous his complete of 31 factors in 54 video games final season. He was named to the NHL All-Star Sport final week and got here into Monday tied for tenth within the NHL with 40 factors.
“I feel he labored actually exhausting on his sport,” Hertl mentioned on Meier. “The video games earlier than he was all the time up and down. He was skating and on the puck one evening and in any other case, he was nowhere. This yr, he’s simply come and he’s there for us each evening, and that’s what one of the best gamers within the NHL do.”
Meier’s first 4 objectives eclipsed the previous Sharks report for the quickest 4 objectives inside a sure timeframe, because the 4 objectives got here in a span of 18:22. Hertl held the earlier report as he scored 4 occasions in 22:46 on Oct. 8, 2013 vs. the New York Rangers.
“The primary interval he had and coming again and getting one other two within the second, it was good to see,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner mentioned. “We’ve talked concerning the season he’s had, being voted as our all-star, which was a lot deserved. We talked about all his work away from the puck.
“With one in every of these video games at the moment, I imagine if you happen to put in sufficient good, exhausting work, it pays you again just a little bit. Timo acquired paid again and our crew, I feel, acquired paid again just a little bit.” 
