Sharks' Hertl becomes social media star

Owen Nolan was the original star in San Jose, the first Sharks player who put together a string of great seasons for the franchise.

He held most of the team's offensive records until Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton came along. One of those records was for most goals in game -- the four Nolan scored Dec. 19, 1995 against the Anaheim Ducks.

It took Tomas Hertl three games into his NHL career to match it.

Hertl tied Nolan's club record with a virtuoso performance Tuesday, scoring four times in a 9-2 win against the New York Rangers. At 19 years, 330 days old, he became the fourth-youngest player in NHL history to score four times in a game, and the youngest since Jimmy Carson, at age 19 years, 254 days, did it for the Los Angeles Kings against the Calgary Flames on March 30, 1988.

The 2012 first-round pick (No. 17) leads the League with six goals and seven points in three games. If scoring four goals against the Rangers wasn't enough, his fourth goal -- a stick-between-the-legs shot on a breakaway -- is an instant contender for goal of the season and will live on in highlight reels for years to come.

Even though the fourth goal came just before 1 a.m. ET, it lit up Twitter on both coasts of North America. As Seth Rorbaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted, Hertl's name was trending in Pittsburgh … at 2:32 a.m. ET.

Here's a look at some of the other observations about Hertl's night from the hockey world on Twitter:

Easy league eh @TomHertl ?

— Logan Couture (@Logancouture) October 9, 2013

Hertl just scored fourth goal, went between legs and roofed it on Biron. Mother and girlfriend tearing up in stands...quite the scene.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 9, 2013

Hey @TomHertl Make sure to give back those hats!! pic.twitter.com/MZEv6bdK0o

— jason demers (@jasondemers5) October 9, 2013

Can't sleep yet? Me either. Watch this: http://t.co/VGU5mS5G1T #HertlPower

— Brodie Brazil (@brodiebrazilCSN) October 9, 2013

What a night Thomas Hertl. Goal of the year to finish it off too!

— Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) October 9, 2013

Tomas Hertl is five months younger than the movie the Lion King.

— Ann Frazier (@annfrazi) October 9, 2013

We Went There: @katiebakes witnesses Teenage Mutant Ninja Hertl's four-goal night in San Jose http://t.co/iy6NKUytxz

— Grantland (@Grantland33) October 9, 2013

It was sick!! RT @TSN1050Radio: Tomas Hertl did this tonight. It was unreal: http://t.co/WYqw9JB6EW #Sharks #NHL

— EJ Hradek (@EJHradek_NHL) October 9, 2013

Congrats to @SanJoseSharks Tomas Hertl for his 4 goal game! Great job!

— Owen Nolan (@OwenNolan11) October 9, 2013