Timo Meier nets first-period hat trick, first five-goal game in Sharks history

The early start time to Monday's game between the Sharks and Los Angeles Kings didn't seem to bother Timo Meier.

The Sharks' lone 2021-22 NHL All-Star representative recorded a first-period hat trick in the matinee at SAP Center, and then added two more in the second period to become the first player in San Jose history with five goals in a game.

FIRST PLAYER IN SHARKS HISTORY WITH A FIVE-GOAL GAME: TIMO MEIER
😲👏 pic.twitter.com/4EPOr07D9R
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2022

With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!

Meier got the scoring started just three minutes into the contest, beating Jonathan Quick on the power play after a sweet cross-ice pass from Brent Burns.

Timo slams it in on the power play 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4fzdkRovG6
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2022

Rudolfs Balcers gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead nearly 16 minutes into the period. Less than three minutes later, Meier lit the lamp again.

Meier corralled a rebound, spun and snuck the puck past Quick.

Timoooo ⏰ pic.twitter.com/ld9HOjInTH
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2022

Just 21 seconds later, Meier got the hat trick, giving the Sharks a 4-0 lead.

TIMO WITH A FIRST-PERIOD HAT TRICK 🤩 pic.twitter.com/mhrKaA6Stk
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2022

It had been more than two years since a Sharks player recorded a first-period hat trick.

Last #SJSharks player with a 1st period hat trick was Evander Kane on Oct. 16, 2019 vs Carolina. 5th hat trick by Sharks vs #GoKingsGo (last: Jonathan Cheechoo, April 1, 2007 in SJ). Meier, first SJ player with a 1st period hat trick vs LA. #LAKvsSJS #NHLStats #HockeyTwitter
— Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) January 17, 2022

Kings star Anze Kopitar scored at 19:44 to get the Kings on the board, but Meier already had put LA in a deep hole.

Meier wasn't done, though. Just 84 seconds into the second period, scored his fourth goal of the game, becoming the first Sharks player with four markers in a game since Evander Kane on March 16, 2018.

TIMO CAN'T BE STOPPED.

The All-Star nets his fourth goal of the game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/p7Ue4KsC0h
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) January 17, 2022

Meier's fifth goal of the game came at 19:32 in the second period, making him the 10th player in NHL history to score five goals in the first two periods of a game and the first since Washington Capitals star Peter Bondra on Feb. 5, 1994 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, per Darin Stephen via Sportsradar.

Meier now is up to 20 goals on the season, moving into a tie with Tomas Hertl for the Sharks lead, and has a team-leading 45 points after his five-goal barrage.