2024-25 Regular Season, Game 68 Preview: Hurricanes at San Jose Sharks

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their winning streak to seven games on Saturday night by shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers during the first of four straight road games. Sebastian Aho got it started, finishing a chance that Jackson Blake created to break the ice. Late in the first period, Mark Jankowski buried a pass from Eric Robinson to pick up his third goal since being traded. Taylor Hall scored 19 seconds into the second period on the power play, finishing a third chance after Shayne Gostisbehere and Aho had been denied. Jankowski was the benefactor of another great Robinson pass late in the middle frame, snapping a shot of the short-side post past Ersson for his second multi-goal game in a week. The icing on the cake was Scott Morrow scoring his first NHL goal in the final minute of the third period, potting a Logan Stankoven rebound in a 5-0 Hurricanes victory. Pyotr Kochetkov was phenomenal, stopping 26 shots to record his second shutout of the season and the 10th of his career. Five Hurricanes finished with multi-point efforts. 

The Opponent: San Jose Sharks (18-41-9, 45 Points- 8th in the Pacific Division)

Last Meeting: The Sharks visited Raleigh in mid-December to begin a four-game homestand for the Canes. Shayne Gostisbehere got the crowd going early, sneaking down from the point to snap William Carrier's cross-seam pass past Vitek Vanecek less than five minutes into the game. Late in the period, Macklin Celebrini made a good play at the line to set up Luke Kunin for a goal after his initial chance was blocked. Kunin struck again midway through the second, potting a rebound after a deceptive play behind the net by William Eklund caught Pyotr Kochetkov guessing. The Canes got it back early in the third after Brent Burns finished a beautiful passing sequence with Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas at the side of the net. With 2:39 left in regulation, the Canes took advantage of a rookie mistake. Celebrini's clearing attempt went right to Jalen Chatfield. The defenseman snapped a shot past Vanecek to give the Canes the lead and the win. Kochetkov made 21 stops in the victory. 

Since We Last Met: Sitting at the bottom of the league once again, the San Jose Sharks were active sellers at the trade deadline, shipping Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to Dallas, Jake Walman to Edmonton, Vitek Vanecek and Nico Sturm to Florida in separate deals, Luke Kunin to Columbus, and Fabian Zetterlund to Ottawa. Since visiting Raleigh, the Sharks have won just eight times in 37 games (8-25-4) with a -50 goal differential. They have easily the worst goaltending in the league, anchored by Alexandar Georgiev, who they acquired the day before playing the Canes in December. Georgiev is 5-16-1 with a 3.85 GAA and a .875 save percentage since the trade. Their offense isn't any better, scoring the third-fewest goals to this point. The deadline did a number on their offense after trading away five of their Top 10 scorers. Macklin Celebrini tops the Sharks with 50 points, sitting second in rookie scoring and first in goals. Tyler Toffoli leads the team with 25 goals, while William Eklund's 35 assists lead the team, and his 49 points are second to Celebrini. San Jose is well on its way to having good odds at the first pick in the upcoming draft. 

Stories of the Game

1. The Long Layoff

We all know that the Hurricanes haven't played since Saturday thanks to the schedule. For the fans, it has been a good way for us to catch up on some sleep before having to stay awake for a 10:30 puck drop tonight. However, the San Jose Sharks have had the exact same gap, last playing against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. What makes this even weirder is that the break comes in the middle of an eight-game homestand for the Sharks, who will have been in San Jose for 22 days before hitting the road on the 30th in Los Angeles. San Jose will have the comfort advantage, but the break could be good for the Canes before a long weekend in California.

2. Navigating the Blue Line

Dmitry Orlov rejoined the Canes' group on Wednesday, signaling he's close to returning after missing the last several games with an upper-body injury. In his place, Scott Morrow has been tearing it up, scoring three points in four games, including his first goal on Saturday. Obviously, it's a good problem for the team to have, but I don't know if you can justify taking Morrow out of the lineup, outside of how much money Orlov makes. It's also worth noting that Orlov was paired with Shayne Gostisbehere at practice on Wednesday. Maybe Rod Brind'Amour is trying something new. 

3. Youngsters Shining Everywhere

Thursday's game will feature four of the most exciting rookies in the NHL, all of whom are in the Top 11 in rookie scoring. The Sharks' duo of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will draw most of the attention. They're second and fourth in scoring respectively, with Celebrini leading all rookies with 21 goals. Logan Stankoven (6th in rookie scoring) and Jackson Blake (11th) are playing well in their own right. Stankoven has a goal and an assist since making the move to Carolina, and Blake has established himself on one of Sebastian Aho's wings. While it might not be the most crucial matchup in tonight's contest, it'll be a fun little side story to follow.