On Tuesday, San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Giles scored his first NHL goal against the Nashville Predators.
“Huge moment. I’ve been thinking about that one for a long time, and it was a great play by my linemates, and I was able to finish it off,” Giles said postgame. “I didn’t even see it hit the back of the net, so I was just praying that it went in. Then I was just super excited. I don’t even know what I was thinking.”
Giles was acquired from the Florida Panthers just before the NHL trade deadline in exchange for goaltender Vitek Vanecek. The 25-year-old was never drafted and has worked up from a PTO with Flordia.
The 6’5 “centerman was never drafted and played four seasons at Boston College. Giles told reporters that he’s worked a lot on his skating, which is what gave him a chance at the NHL. He made his NHL debut with the Panthers earlier this season and played nine games.
While he’s been playing a fourth-line role for head coach Ryan Warsofsky, there seems to be an instant chemistry with the line of Giles, Barclay Goodrow, and Carl Grundstrom. Grundstrom got the primary assist on Giles’ goal.
“He was really good. I liked his game again tonight. I thought he did some good things. He’s got poise with the puck. [He] gets the inside the ice to score a goal. If you’re going to score in this league, that’s where you’ve got to get to. We’ve been impressed,” Warsofsky said postgame. “[That line has] an identity to themselves. They know what they are. They know how to have success, and that’s putting pucks behind people, forechecking, [and] using their speed and their size.”
Giles only had five goals in the AHL this season, three shorthanded, but has shown poise with the puck along the boards.
Giles told reporters that he plans to give his parents his first NHL goal puck during their visit next week.
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