Will Smith made his San Jose Sharks preseason debut against the Anaheim Ducks.
Will Smith made his San Jose Sharks preseason debut against the Anaheim Ducks.
"I thought he was pretty good. He handled some things. He got inside ice, [and] played with some pace," Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "Obviously, there's some things he needs to work on, but I liked his game tonight."
"It's preseason, but it still hurts to lose," Smith said postgame. "I want to get more on the forecheck and have some more ozone time. That'll lead to more chances."
First period:
After a slow start to the game, Smith finally got some touches in the offensive zone. He drove the puck wide and found Tyler Toffoli with a beautiful cross-ice pass.
The Sharks would later get on the powerplay, and although Smith did not score, he was utilized on the right wing.
Second period:
The Sharks got an early powerplay in the frame, and Smith was more active. After a strong zone entry, he made a great pass to Toffoli.
On a not-so-high note, Smith took a hooking penalty late in the frame, which led to Anaheim's fourth straight goal.
Third period:
Smith's best chance of the game came off a Barclay Goodrow faceoff win. The puck rolled slightly, and Smith missed the net with his shot. The Sharks have run this play before, but Smith often passes it after getting the puck.
The centerman hit the crossbar at the end of the game with a slapshot from the point.
"We're going to have to peel some scabs back from the last couple years & understand that to win in this league, you have to do it shift after shift after shift after shift," Warsofsky said postgame.
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