Hurricanes rally, stop Sharks in shootout

It took a while for the Carolina Hurricanes to get started Friday at PNC Arena, but once they did ...

The Hurricanes erased a two-goal deficit against the San Jose Sharks, taking the game to overtime and then to a shootout, emerging with a 4-3 victory.

Brock McGinn, who scored in the second period for the Canes, had the only shootout goal to win it. He then led the Canes in the postgame celebration, the Canes first acting as if they would take another skating leap into the glass, only to reverse course and slide bottom-first, kayak style, across the ice, using their sticks as paddles.

“I think the way we won was what’s important,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “The way we came back, after getting punched in the face, which is what it was, really a couple of times, and to keep coming back, I think, speaks a lot for the group.

“It was a great game. That’s how I think hockey should be played. I was on the edge of my seat, and I had a pretty good seat.”

Brind’Amour sent out Justin Williams, McGinn and Sebastian Aho in the shootout. Williams and Aho were denied -- Aho, who now has a 10-game point streak, catching the metal. But McGinn beat goalie Aaron Dell, who had played masterfully in the overtime, with a top-shelf shot and now has scored on four of five career shootout shots.

The Sharks (5-3-2) went with Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi against the Canes’ Petr Mrazek, but no one could find the net. Mrazek now is 13-6 in his career in shootouts.

“The shootout I think you have to look at a little differently,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s kind of the bonus thing, and whatever happens, happens. It’s just a fantasy point, just for the fans.”

Canes fans enjoyed it. They enjoyed the postgame antics, too, including a rendition of the floss from defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who was called out as the game’s second star. Videos quickly went viral.

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The Hurricanes (6-3-1), beginning a three-game homestand, fell behind 2-0 after the first period and trailed 3-1 in the second.

Hamilton, McGinn and Teuvo Teravainen all had second-period goals, earning the Canes a 3-3 tie through 40 minutes. Aho extended his point streak to 10 games on the Teravainen goal, a Hurricanes record to start the season, as the Canes began to control the flow of the game.

Mrazek had to weather a tough first period, when the Canes were sluggish and the Sharks took a 2-0 lead. But the Canes found their legs and Mrazek received more help as the game unfolded.

“We never won another race or a battle the rest of the game,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.

Defenseman Justin Faulk again showed off some goaltending ability, just as he did in the game Monday in Detroit, making a kick save in the second to help out Mrazek.

Forward Jordan Martinook made a big defensive play in the third, hustling back for a diving poke check to break up a partial breakaway by the Sharks’ Marcus Sorensen.

The Canes had not played since Monday and the 3-1 win over the Red Wings and it showed in the first. Nothing was sharp, nor were the Canes the aggressors. Passes never found the tape. Players were slow to the puck.

The Sharks took advantage, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Antti Suomela -- his first in the NHL -- and Timo Meier on a power play.

But the second would be different. From the opening shift, the Canes showed some fire, forechecking with speed, with a purpose.

“We wanted to come out and play the way we could,” McGinn said.

Hamilton scored on a one-timer that glanced off the stick of Sharks defenseman Brent Burns in the slot -- Hamilton’s first goal of the season and first with the Hurricanes.

A slashing penalty against Canes center Lucas Wallmark appeared to be a momentum-killer as Tomas Hertl scored on the power play for a 3-1 Sharks lead. But the Canes kept attacking and the Sharks turned sloppy and indecisive in their zone.

A Sharks turnover became McGinn’s first goal of the season after Wallmark and Brenden Dillon battled for the puck in front of the net.

Another turnover, on an awful pass from the wall by the Sharks’ Evander Kane, led to a tie score as Teravainen ripped a shot past Dell. Teravainen also assisted on Hamilton’s goal.

Both goalies made huges saves midway through the third -- Dell twice denying a hard-charging Warren Foegele.

A crowd of 12,311 turned out on a cold, rainy night. Also at PNC Arena: Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, in to scout the game.

This story was originally published October 26, 2018 at 10:24 PM.