Highlight: Timo Meier sets franchise record with 5 goals against Kings
Just going to play this game on a loop for awhile.
Games with earlier than expected start times are either a snoozefest, or can’t-miss hockey. Whatever Timo Meier had for breakfast needs to be worked into everybody’s pregame routine ASAP, because he put on an absolute clinic against Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings, single-handedly powering the San Jose Sharks to a 6-2 win.
Let’s just watch all five goals, shall we?
We begin our story with this little power play number early in the first period.
Go All-Star, that's our All-Star!@meiertimo rips it on the power play. pic.twitter.com/72feTtxLU0
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 17, 2022
Brent Burns gets Jonathan Quick to over-commit, while the Sharks in front of the net distract Quick into throwing a fit over his sightlines, which is why he doesn’t see the puck sent over to Timo Meier until it’s too late.
The secret to fixing the power play? Play against a giant baby of a goaltender.
Rudolfs Balcers then put the Sharks on the board again and the early 2-0 lead woke everybody up.
The period wound down when Meier netted his second of the game with a solid follow through, tracking the puck and responding quickly on second and third chances.
That's ✌️@meiertimo | #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/3Zs6d1Cpho
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 17, 2022
Two-goal Timo simply wasn’t done. On the next shift, he closed out the period with a hat trick.
IT'S RAINING HATS....
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 17, 2022
AND TACOS@meiertimo collected his second career hat trick to close out the first! pic.twitter.com/MYHQzaFHpk
The second period opened with a fourth goal from Meier, because the Kings are hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow and Cal Peterson is simply not going to be held responsible for five periods of hockey in two nights, especially not against the Lightning or the risk of further embarrassment at the hands of Meier.
Four in the net, tacos you get!@meiertimo earned his tacos today 💪 pic.twitter.com/HOp5LZWsmX
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 17, 2022
I hope he gets Joe Thornton on the phone soon. He’ll be so proud.
Especially because he not only notched the legendary Rooster Trick, but Timo Meier is a franchise record holder for Most Goals in a Single Game, adding his fifth by ending Drew Doughty’s career:
high-fives only for TIMO MEIER 🖐@meiertimo | #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/6C6bzvmEIp
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 17, 2022
Just retire now, bud. We’ll all understand.
With five goals from Timo Meier and an extra from Rudolfs Balcers, the Sharks took a big 6-2 victory. Here are some crazy stats from the game:
- Per NHL PR, Meier’s hat trick in the first period was the fastest hat trick from the start of a game in franchise history (19:09).
- Per @SharksStats, Timo Meier now has 20 goals in 35 games, sixth-most through 35 games in team history (most: Ray Sheppard 1995-96 and Owen Nolan 1999-00, each with 22).
- Per NHL PR, Meier became the first NHL player to score five goals in a game against the Kings since Alexei Zhamnov had five for the original Winnipeg Jets on April 1, 1995.
- Per Sharks PR, Timo Meier also became the fifth player in the last 25 years to score five goals in a game (regular season and playoffs), joining Mika Zibanejad (March 5, 2020), Patrik Laine (Nov. 24, 2018), Johan Franzen (Feb. 2, 2011) and Marian Gaborik (Dec. 20, 2007). The last player to score six goals in a game was Darryl Sittler on Feb. 7, 1976.
- Per Sharks PR, Tomas Hertl’s career-best four assists ties a franchise record and is the most assists recorded in a game by a Sharks player since Kevin Labanc (10/19/2018).
- Per Sharks PR, Erik Karlsson recorded his 500th career NHL assist with three assists in the contest. Karlsson’s three assists are his most in a game since 11/12/2019 vs. Edmonton.
- Per NHL PR, Erik Karlsson became the fastest active NHL defenseman to reach 500 career assists (820 GP), besting Keith Yandle (1,033 GP on Oct. 15, 2021). Karlsson and Yandle are among a group of five active defensemen with 500 NHL assists (also Duncan Keith, Ryan Suter and Brent Burns)./
We’re working on a custom design to celebrate Meier’s record, but if you can’t wait to get your hands on some TIMO TIME apparel, check out our pals over at BreakingT and their Sharks collection, featuring this beauty: