Hurricanes 5, Sharks 3
Rookie Elias Lindholm scored the go-ahead goal with six minutes remaining in the third period and added a pair of assists as Carolina rallied past visiting San Jose for its third straight victory.
Jordan Staal, defenseman Jay Harrison and Riley Nash each had a goal and an assist for Carolina while captain Eric Staal sealed it with an empty-net tally in the final minute. Lindholm deflected defenseman Andrej Sekera’s shot past Alex Stalock for his first career game-winner and Cam Ward made 22 saves for the victory.
Tommy Wingels and defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun scored for San Jose, which dropped to 1-2-0 on its four-game road trip. Stalock turned aside 30 shots in his first career regulation loss (4-1-1).
Stalock made 13 saves in the first period, including a big right pad stop on Nathan Gerbe, as the Sharks built a 2-0 lead. Wingels moved in front of the crease and deflected defenseman Jason Demers’ shot from the right point past Ward 7:09 into the contest after Carolina had turned over the puck.
Vlasic doubled the advantage with 3:29 left in the first, taking a pass from captain Joe Thornton and hammering a shot from the left point past a screened Ward. The Hurricanes cut the deficit in half when Harrison’s left-point shot bounced off the end boards and caromed off Stalock and into the net 11:36 into the second session.
Stalock, making his fourth career start, featured another big stop on a wide-open Gerbe in front among 11 saves in the second as the Sharks held the 2-1 lead. However, the Hurricanes forged a tie 4:54 into the third, when Nash got his stick on Harrison's shot from the left point.
Carolina kept pressuring and took the lead 1:48 later as Jordan Staal was able to get to a loose puck at the right post and stuff it home. San Jose did not waste much time answering as Braun’s shot from the point whistled through a screen and past Ward’s glove at 9:35.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Thornton moved past Johnny Bucyk and Mike Modano with his 814th career assist, tying Gilbert Perreault for 24th on the all-time list. … The Hurricanes placed D Mike Komisarek (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled LW Zach Boychuk, who made his season debut and assisted on Harrison’s goal. … San Jose D Brad Stuart was rested while RWs Matt Pelech and Mike Brown also were scratched.