Tomas Hertl 4-goal game: He did it in just 11 minutes

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Tomas Hertl scored four goals in just his third NHL game on Tuesday night, and he did it while getting just 11 minutes of ice-time.

By Adam Gretz Oct 9, 2013, 8:15am EDT

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As if Tomas Hertl's four goal game on Tuesday night wasn't impressive enough, he did it all while playing just a little more than 11 minutes during the Sharks' 9-2 dismantling of the New York Rangers.

Four goal games are pretty rare in the NHL, whether it's coming from a 19-year-old rookie (like Hertl) or a seasoned All-Star. But a player scoring four goals in a game when he logs less than 12 minutes of ice-time? That's almost unheard of.

According to the data base at Hockey-Reference.com, there were only two prior examples of a player scoring four goals in a single game while playing fewer than 12 minutes: Jussi Jokinen did it in 2007 as a member of the Dallas Stars (four goals in 11:04) and Michael Nylander did it in 1999 as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks (four goals in 10:41).

(Note: Mark Parrish's name also shows up on that list, but his ice-time is not listed so I'm not including him)

Hertl joined their ranks on Tuesday, completing the four-goal effort with a truly stunning goal against Martin Biron.

With already six goals in three games it's a good bet that he's going to start getting more than 11 minutes in the very near future.