San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #20: Will Smith Excited To Face Idol Patrick Kane for 1st Time
Will Smith smiled when asked if he hopes to be Patrick Kane to Macklin Celebrini’s Jonathan Toews.
“I mean, that’s the plan,” the San Jose Sharks’ 2023 fourth-overall said on Monday morning, before his first game against Kane.
The Chicago Blackhawks legend is now with the Detroit Red Wings, but the 19-year-old Smith hasn’t forgotten the three Stanley Cups and 1,225 points that the 2007 No. 1 pick scored for the Hawks.
“He was my idol growing up. I was a big Chicago fan too, so he’s definitely the guy that I kind of tried to play like, and he’s definitely my favorite player,” Smith said.
Smith said Kane is the player that he’s most excited to face for the first time in his rookie campaign, just one game after the San Jose Sharks took on Celebrini’s idol, Sidney Crosby, in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“He’s just silky out there. I used to watch his clips on YouTube for hours on end when I was a kid, and then go try [what he did in] practice,” Smith said. “Everything about him is just so smooth.”
Smith would even emulate this famous Kane stickhandling drill, but not with as much success.
“I would do that all the time,” he said, adding with a laugh, “not as good as him.”
Perhaps surprisingly, considering both Kane and Smith were USNTDP stars, they’ve never met. So tonight’s game will be extra-special to Smith.
And for the San Jose Sharks, they hope it’s a passing of the torch.
Kane is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and arguably, the greatest American hockey player ever.
Smith, of course, is just 15 games into his NHL career.
But just like Smith dreamed of being Kane when he was a kid, Sharks fans can hope today that they’ve found their Toews-Kane for the next decade.
San Jose Sharks (5-10-4)
Mackenzie Blackwood starts, Yaroslav Askarov will back up.
Same power play groups as last game too:
🦈Walman-Wennberg-Eklund-Granlund-Zetterlund
🦈Liljegren-Celebrini-Smith-Toffoli-Goodrow— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 18, 2024
Detroit Red Wings (7-9-1)
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Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.
