San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier, left, skates with the puck while defended by Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, center, and left wing Alex Iafallo during the first period on Monday afternoon in San Jose. Meier scored five goals in the Sharks’ 6-2 win. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier celebrates with defensemen Brent Burns (88) and Erik Karlsson (65) and center Tomas Hertl after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Monday afternoon in San Jose. Meier scored three of his five goals in the first period. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick pokes the puck away from San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns as Kings defenseman Drew Doughty pursues during the first period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks left wing Jeffrey Viel checks Kings defenseman Matt Roy into the boards during the first period on Monday afternoon in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl and Kings defenseman Sean Durzi battle for the puck during the first period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks left wing Rudolfs Balcers, right, is congratulated by center Tomas Hertl after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Monday afternoon in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks left wing Rudolfs Balcers, right, is congratulated by center Tomas Hertl after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Monday afternoon in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick makes a save during the first period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Sharks in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier, left, skates with the puck while defended by Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, center, and left wing Alex Iafallo during the first period on Monday afternoon in San Jose. Meier scored five goals in the Sharks’ 6-2 win. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Monday afternoon in San Jose. Meier scored three of his five goals in the first period. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson shoots as San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro goes horizontal in an attempt to block during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer makes a save during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier is congratulated after scoring a goal during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings left wing Alex Iafallo skates with the puck while defended by San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl reacts after being called for a penalty during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux and San Jose Sharks left wing Jeffrey Viel prepare to fight during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux, left, and San Jose Sharks left wing Jeffrey Viel fight during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux, right, and San Jose Sharks left wing Jeffrey Viel fight during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux, right, and San Jose Sharks left wing Jeffrey Viel fight during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier is congratulated by center Tomas Hertl (48) after scoring a goal during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. Meier scored five goals in the 6-2 win. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier skates with the puck during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier skates with the puck as Kings defensemen Drew Doughty (8) and Mikey Anderson pursue during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson (44) is congratulated by center Anze Kopitar (11) after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier handles the puck during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier shoots while defended by Kings center Blake Lizotte and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (7) during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson looks on during the third period of Monday afternoon’s game against the Kings in San Jose. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
SAN JOSE — Timo Meier added a historic chapter to what’s already been a special season for him, setting San Jose’s franchise record with five goals in a game.
The Sharks used a huge first period – including Meier’s hat trick – to beat the Kings, 6-2, on Monday.
“It’s very special, I almost can’t even describe it,” the 25-year-old Meier said. “It’s a goosebump feeling.”
A sixth-year winger who made his first All-Star team this season, Meier’s fourth goal came less than two minutes into the second period and broke the Sharks’ record with his fifth just 27 seconds before the second intermission.
With fans chanting “Timo!, Timo!” at different points throughout the third period, Meier had a chance for his sixth goal midway through the period when he took the puck down the left side with open ice ahead of him, but Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson knocked the puck from his possession as Meier approached the net.
“He’s a hell of a player, the fourth-leading shooter in the league as far as volume in the NHL,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “He’s playing with a guy that’s red hot in Tomas (Hertl), and he has the ability to do that.”
Anze Kopitar and Anderson scored for the Kings, who had their four-game winning streak snapped despite outshooting the Sharks 41-17. Jonathan Quick made 11 saves.
“You could probably summarize this game by looking at the game sheet,” McLellan said. “One, it would tell you the score, 6-2. You’d look at the shots on goal and go ‘that shouldn’t be like that’ but it should be, because one team played on the inside, in and around our paint, and we didn’t get inside at the other end.”
Kopitar found it harder to figure, particularly coming against a division rival.
“This one is tough to explain,” Kopitar said. “Obviously, it’s a score that sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s hard to say that we didn’t play a very bad game, because we had some chances, we had some O-zone time, but at the end of the day you’re playing for the two points and you didn’t get them. It’s especially more important being a division game. It’s a race for the playoffs and they got the best of us.”
Meier scored from both sides of the net, including twice on the power play, and wedged a couple of shots from difficult angles past Quick.
“I can’t remember if I’ve seen a guy that hot,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “… You could see guys looking at each other. It’s the way he scored them as well. The patience, the shots, picking the corners. Those goals were pretty goals.”
Joe Malone holds the NHL single-game record with seven goals, which he achieved with the Quebec Bulldogs back in 1920. Seven players have had six-goal games over the years.
According to NHL records, the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad was the last player to score five goals, which happened on March 5, 2020, against Washington.
Meier also notched the 11th single-period hat track in Sharks history. And with each goal, the SAP Center crowd of 10,705 cheered louder and louder.
Hertl had four assists for the Sharks, who had scored just one goal combined over their past two games. Erik Karlsson had three assists, including the 500th of his career, and Rudolfs Balcers had a goal and assist.
James Reimer, making his first start in net since Jan. 4 for San Jose due to a lower-body injury, had 39 saves.
Meier leads the Sharks with 45 points through 35 games.
Karlsson, referencing his teammate’s jersey number, summed up the theme of the day: “Today, if you wore No. 28, you shoot everything.”
SUCCESSFUL RETURN
Reimer had a big day in goal for San Jose, particularly early on, when he faced heavy pressure with the game’s outcome still in doubt.
“They’re a team that throws a lot of pucks to the net,” Boughner said of the Kings. “They crash hard. He had to deal with some traffic. His first game back after a few weeks off, Reimer battled hard and helped us in the first period.”
MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT
With the Kings’ leading goal-scorer Adrian Kempe entering the league’s COVID-19 protocols on Sunday, rookie Samuel Fagemo joined Kopitar and Alex Iafallo on their top line. A second-round pick in 2019, Fagemo made his NHL debut four days earlier against Pittsburgh.
BARABANOV OUT
Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov remained sidelined in the COVID-19 protocols, despite an initial thought that he might be able to rejoin the active roster Monday.
UP NEXT
The King host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, looking to avenge a 3-2 overtime road loss from mid-December.
