The Carolina Hurricanes took down the San Jose Sharks 3-1 Thursday at the SAP Center for their eighth straight win. Carolina’s eight consecutive victories is the longest active win streak in the NHL.
The Canes (42-22-4) started slow, letting the Sharks (18-42-9) get on the board first. In a desperate attempt to stop the puck, defenseman Brent Burns slid flat on the ice, tripping Sharks left wing William Eklund and sending him into netminder Frederik Andersen, knocking them down. The puck made it into the net, through the legs of Andersen, just before the net dislodged, marking a shorthanded goal for the Sharks 13 minutes into the first period for a 1-0 lead.
This game marked Burns’ 911th consecutive game played — the fifth-longest streak in league history — passing his former teammate Patrick Marleau.
Halfway through the second period, the Canes found their rhythm and started making game-changing plays. Center Sebastian Aho fought for a turnover, getting the puck to right wing Jackson Blake who skillfully kept it in the zone, and set up center Seth Jarvis for a snapshot past Sharks netminder Georgi Romanov to tie it at 1-1
Blake almost got on the board when Jarvis returned the favor and set Blake up for a one-on-one situation with Romanov. Faking it left but going right, he slipped it into the back of the net but it was called off-sides, wiping the goal off the board.
Early in the final period, linemates Aho and Blake were all over the ice. Making plays and passing back and forth, Aho readied himself at the top of the zone waiting for the pass-back from Blake, blasting it into the back of the net when it came, taking a 2-1 lead.
Center Mark Jankowski marked his 400th NHL game. This being his fifth game with the Canes, he has already settled in and made a home in Carolina and has nothing but positive things to say about the team, his linemates and the city.
Late in the third period, left wing Taylor Hall made a big play in his offensive zone, getting the puck to defenseman Sean Walker who sent it flying past Romanov from the top of the zone, putting the Canes up 3-1 with less than six minutes to go.
With six total penalties called, neither team capitalized with a power play goal. Although the Canes sit 26th in the league in power play percentage, their power play kill makes up for it with an 84.5% kill, putting them first in the league.
With three minutes left, San Jose defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin drew a penalty against Hall, giving an opening for the Sharks to pull their goalie and get a six-on-four opportunity. The Sharks were unsuccessful in trying to close the gap in the score, losing their opportunity once center Will Smith sent the puck over the glass in their defensive zone, drawing a delay of game penalty.
Andersen recorded his fourth straight win with a .960 save percentage.
The Carolina Hurricanes will continue their trip out west and take on the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at 4 p.m.
