SALT LAKE CITY — It was clear very early on in Friday’s Utah Mammoth game against the San Jose Sharks that Nick Schmaltz was feeling it.

The 29-year-old forward had a shot in the opening minute sail just wide, but stayed aggressive and scored the fastest two goals by a player in team history at 9:39 and 13:31 of the first period to give the home team a quick 2-0 lead over the visiting Sharks at the Delta Center.

Schmaltz was tied for the team lead with 16 shots on goal over the first four games of the season but had no goals to show for it before Friday’s breakout. Head coach Andre Tourigny said he spoke with the alternate captain on Thursday to reinforce his first-line forward’s confidence.

“You’re doing the right thing, and it will come,” Tourigny said of his chat with Schmaltz. “So it was a matter of time.”

San Jose managed to tie the game briefly in the second period at 2-2, but Liam O’Brien’s first goal in a Utah jersey re-took the lead before the second intermission in the fan favorite’s first game of the season.

The magical moment for Schmaltz came less than a minute into the final period on Clayton Keller’s third assist of the night. Dozens of fans tossed their hats onto the ice to celebrate the second hat trick in Utah NHL history and the first at the Delta Center. Barrett Hayton had the other Utah hat trick last season in Las Vegas.

Schmaltz said his grandfather was in attendance on Friday for just the second time in his NHL career, with the first time coming on the night of the Wisconsin native’s first hat trick with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023.

“It was awesome, especially in front of our home fans, and shout out to my grandpa,” Schmaltz said. “He’s watched me play two times now in Arizona and here, and he’s seen a hat trick both times. So it’s pretty cool and special to have him here.”

Michael Carcone and Keller added the final two goals on a 6-3 night for the Mammoth, each earning their first goal of the season.

Line-mates Schmaltz and Keller both had 4-point nights against the Sharks in what was the Mammoth’s best offensive outing by far through five games. Utah finishes off the weekend home stand with a 5 p.m. MDT puck drop against the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

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