subject: San Jose Sharks Tickets - Sharks Beat Hurricanes 5-1 [print this page] Kent Huskins scored a goal, Brad Staubitz added a goal, Evgeni Nabokov made 25 saves and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Get San Jose Sharks tickets and see Nabokov make a split save. San Jose defenseman Douglas Murray also registered a goal for the Sharks. He stated that his team played sloppy in the beginning of the season but got wins because of Nabokov. The defenseman continued to say that the Sharks have a lot of talent and can score four or five goals on any night. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Patrick Marleau also recorded goals for San Jose, who sits atop the Pacific Division. San Jose beat the Hurricanes in Carolina for the first time since Oct. 24, 2000.
Brandon Sutter scored the lone goal for Carolina, who hasn't won in nine games and is off to the team's worst start (2-8-3) in franchise history. Sutter scored in the second period when he broke in on the left wing and riffled a shot past Nabokov's blocker. The puck ricocheted off the post before it went into the net. The Hurricanes have been outscored 16-4 in their last three games. Carolina coach Paul Maurice admitted that forechecking and controlling the puck in the offensive zone hasn't worked for his team. After Sutter's goal, the Sharks took over the game. They scored two goals in rapid succession. Huskins drew first blood when he beat Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward on a sharp angle 4:05 into the second period. The defenseman stated that he just dumped the puck "at the net and got a lucky bounce there."
Just over a minute later, Jody Shelley sent a pass to Staubitz for an off-balance wrist shot from the slot. The Puck went right by Ward. Murray scored a goal late in the second period after he received a beautiful pass from behind the net from Joe Thornton. It was Murray's second career goal and first in 109 games. Vlasic added a goal in the third period after he joined an odd-man rush while Marleau scored the last goal for the Sharks by shooting a laser past Ward on the power play. Although Ward made 20 saves for the Hurricanes, his effort was not good enough to secure a victory against the Sharks.
The night did not get better for the Hurricanes, as their star player Eric Staal left the game with an upper body injury. He did not return to the game. Maurice told the press he did not know the extent of the injury, but it was significant enough to take him out of the game. The coach added that Staal was a tough player and can play "through most things, but he couldn't go." The only good news for Carolina was the fact that two of their regulars returned to the lineup. Hurricanes Forward Erik Cole played after missing 10 games due to a broken leg and Tuomo Ruutu laced up after being suspended for three games for a hit on Colorado's Darcy Tucker. The Sharks will face Columbus and Detroit before heading home. At the end of the road trip, San Jose will have played 12 of their first 17 games on the road, nine in the Eastern time zone.
