“It’s going to be pretty weird,” San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith said about playing his linemate of three years, Gabe Perreault.
The New York Rangers are in town to face Smith’s Sharks, and the young stars got together for dinner last night. Perreault told SHD that Smith introduced him to Patrick Marleau, but went out to eat.
“We were roommates for a year, and obviously we’ve been really good friends for three, and we were linemates for three years, too,” Smith said. “It’s gonna be pretty funny to play against him.”
As for Perreault, he is just as excited as his former Boston College teammate.
“Might be a little bit weird, but it’s exciting,” Perreault said. “But most importantly, I’m focused on our team and hopefully getting the win over here.”
Smith had a terrific game in New York to help the Sharks to their first win of the season. Smith scored two goals, including the overtime winning goal, as well as two assists.
Smith and Perreault both complimented each other’s play highly. Smith, who is on a line with Macklin Celebrini, loves that his former teammate is on the Rangers’ top line.
“It’s crazy. We were talking about all our BC memories the other day, and it feels like yesterday that we were there,” Smith said. “I mean, it doesn’t surprise me, he’s playing with [the Rangers’ top line]. He’s an unbelievable playmaker, and I definitely could see him fitting well with those two.”
Perreault told SHD he won’t forget his chemistry with Smith because he has a similar playstyle. The Rangers winger is also familiar with Celebrini, as the trio went against each other on multiple occasions.
“He’s got it all. Super smart [he and I have] a pretty similar brain, so we had good chemistry there. He’s probably the most skilled player I’ve seen,” Perreault said.
“Feels like yesterday we were starting at the [USNTDP] program, and now we’re both here. Obviously, we played Mack too when he was with the [Chicago] Steel and at BU.”
The Rangers and San Jose Sharks are in different directions. The Sharks are trying to push for a playoff spot, whereas the Rangers sent a letter to their fans about a retool. For Perreault, winning is the most important thing, but playing a higher role during the retool could be beneficial.
“I’ve been getting a lot of opportunity. I think [I’m] playing well, doing all the little things, playing with those [J.T. Miller & Mika Zibanejad],” Perreault said. “Like I said, the end of the day, the most important thing is winning. It’s just what we’re trying to get back into here.”
With one final game at home before a five-game road trip into the Olympics, Smith knows Friday’s game is ultra-important.
“Tonight’s a big one. They are a great team. They got a bunch of really good guys, so we’re just worried about ourselves and trying to go out there and stick to the game plan,” Smith said.