2023-24 Regular Season, Game 9: Hurricanes vs. San Jose Sharks (Pregame)

The Hurricanes returned home Thursday night and picked up a huge comeback win to end their three-game losing streak. They fell into a 2-0 hole in the first period after Oliver Bjorkstrand made a great move to get Brent Burns off balance before sniping it top shelf, then he set up Devin Shore with an incredible aerial pass before he finished the play. The Canes got one late as Martin Necas batted a puck home from the top of the crease. This goal would prove to be huge. Neither team scored in the second period, a rare occurrence for a Canes game this season. In the third, the Canes finally tied it late. A good play by Brady Skjei began a transition chance. He passed it over to Necas, who spun and fired it to a trailing Jesperi Kotkaniemi. No mistakes were made as Kotkaniemi lifted it past Joey Daccord in the final five minutes. The game would move to overtime, and Seattle controlled the puck for most of the five minutes. They recorded the first three shots, and Frederik Andersen was up to the task. With time winding down, the Canes pushed for one last chance. Tony DeAngelo sent a backhand pass to Necas, who snapped it to the top corner to win the game with 9.7 seconds left. The crowd went nuts. The team went nuts. I went nuts. It was a massive win for the Hurricanes, getting them back in the win column. 

The Opponent: San Jose Sharks (0-6-1, 1 Point- 8th in the Pacific Division)

Last Meeting- The Hurricanes were in San Jose last Tuesday night on the third stop of their road trip, with special teams playing a big part. Fabian Zetterlund scored on San Jose's first shot, but Seth Jarvis responded on the power play less than a minute later. Shortly after the Jarvis goal, Frederik Andersen would leave the game after taking a puck between his eyes. Jaccob Slavin gave the Canes the lead on a short-handed breakaway in the second period. The Sharks came back with two goals on the power play from Filip Zadina and William Eklund, giving San Jose a 3-2 lead after two periods. The Canes' offense exploded in the third period. Stefan Noesen tied the game on the power play. Jarvis struck again, also on the power play. Martin Necas and Brett Pesce scored 15 seconds apart as the Canes eased their way to a 6-3 win in the Shark Tank. 

Since We Last Met- The Sharks have struggled since the Hurricanes came to town. They scored three total goals in their last four games. Part of their problem is the schedule they've faced to begin the season. They've faced Boston, Nashville, Florida, and Tampa Bay and been outscored 17-3. The Sharks were also in action last night, getting shut out 6-0 by the Lightning, marking back-to-back shutouts by Jonas Johansson, who also shut out the Canes on Tuesday. This is the fourth stop on a five-game road trip for the Sharks, with Washington, D.C., being their final destination on Sunday. 

Stories of the Night

1. Ladies and Gentlemen! MISTA SVECHNIKOV!

March 11, 2023, was a rough night for the Hurricanes. Not only did the Canes get shut out by the Vegas Golden Knights, but it would be the last time Andrei Svechnikov would suit up for the season. We would soon find out that Svechnikov had suffered a torn ACL in the loss, sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season and the postseason. 230 days later, Svechnikov makes his return. PNC Arena will go nuts for him when he steps on the ice. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a solo lap like the rookies do when they make their debuts. I have low expectations for him in his return, but that doesn't temper my excitement. 

2. Stringing Wins Together

Winning last night the way they did was awesome. Now, it's time to string this into a few wins. They've gotten on the wrong side of a streak to begin the season. Outside of consecutive wins to start the campaign, the Hurricanes haven't gone on a long winning streak. Last night could be an early turning point after a sobering start. The Sharks, on paper, are a team the Hurricanes should beat. We've seen plenty of instances where they've played down to lesser opponents, the loss in Anaheim being a shining example. Both teams playing last night makes me wonder who will take control of the game early. 

3. Necas' Encore

Martin Necas was the clear star of last night's game. He contributed to all three goals, scoring two of them, including the winner in overtime. It was a fantastic night for Necas. Now, he needs to follow it up tonight against San Jose. How will the encore play out? After a career season in 2022-23, Necas has started this season just as hot, tied with Jesperi Kotkaniemi in points and several others with four goals. He could cement this great start with another strong performance tonight. 

4. San Jose Looking for a Win

The Sharks are the only team in the league without a victory, starting 0-6-1 through seven games. They're also the only team still with single-digit goals. Everything that could go wrong for the Sharks has. Injuries have hampered the team early, with Logan Couture yet to play a game, Mikael Granlund only playing once, and Alexander Barabanov joining the IR on Wednesday. After his incredible 51-save performance against Colorado, Mackenzie Blackwood has struggled, allowing 18 goals in his last four starts. He was pulled last night after allowing five goals to the Lightning on 21 shots. I'll be interested to see whether Blackwood or Kaapo Kahkonen get the start tonight.