Photo credit: @canes_fanly
By Pearl Allison Lo
The Carolina Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov scored both the first and shootout goals to lift his team over the San Jose Sharks 3-2 at PNC Arena on Thursday.
It was the Hurricanes’ second shootout win of the season, the first achieved the first game of the regular season. For the Sharks, it was their first shootout loss and the first time they went to a shootout on the road during the same period. San Jose never led in this game.
Both teams were pretty evenly matched. Shot wise, they both had nine apiece in each of the first two periods with the Sharks edging Carolina overall 30-29.
The Hurricanes got the first goal in the first two periods with Warren Foegele the primary assist on both. Svechnikov put his team up on the board 50 seconds into the game.
However, San Jose was able to rally by the end of each period. Logan Couture’s tally came with 17.6 seconds left before second intermission.
With several players battling for control in the first, Foegele finally pushed the puck to open ice and found Svechnikov who had space and time to skate around goalie Aaron Dell.
Joe Thornton drew his defender and goalie Petr Mrazek to the left side before making a swift pass to Marcus Sorensen who had plenty of open ice to make it 1-1 at 7:16 of the first.
In the second, play started in Carolina’s end. With long passes and a rush advantage, the puck went between Foegele and Jake Gardiner three times before Gardiner was able to find a spot between Patrick Marleau and Dell at 10:12.
Between goals in the second, non-scoring action occurred when Mrazek slashed Thornton and Thornton cuffed him up front high in retaliation, knocking Mrazek down and resulting in a multi-player scuffle. Both players received slashing penalties, Thornton’s a double minor at 12:50 with roughing added.
From the top of the left faceoff circle, Erik Karlsson passed to Couture, who sent in a laser from above the right faceoff circle past three players in his shooting lane before Mrazek.
The Sharks outshot the Hurricanes 10-5 in the third and Carolina outshot San Jose 6-2 in overtime.
The Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton hit the post during overtime and both goalies had quality saves.
San Jose’s Kevin Labanc was first in the shootout and hit the post. Svechnikov was the only whose shot entered the net out of six players.
Up Next: The Sharks remain on a power play drought. They won the faceoff advantage by a 66.7% to 33.3% clip. San Jose’s four-game road trip continues with the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday at 4 pm PST.
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