Hurricanes rally past Sharks, win in shootout

It took a while for the Carolina Hurricanes to get started Friday at PNC Arena but once they did …

The Hurricanes erased a two-goal deficit against the San Jose Sharks, taking the game to overtime and then to a shootout, emerging with a 4-3 victory.

Brock McGinn, who scored in the second period for the Canes, had the only shootout goal to win it. He then led the Canes in the postgame celebration, the Canes first acting as if they would take another leap into the glass, only to reverse course and slide bottom-first, kayak style, across the ice.

The Hurricanes (6-3-1), beginning a three-game homestand, fell behind 2-0 after the first period and trailed 3-1 in the second.

But Dougie Hamilton, McGinn and Teuvo Teravainen all had second-period goals, earning the Canes a 3-3 tie through 40 minutes. Sebastian Aho extended his point streak to 10 games on the Teravainen goal, a Hurricanes record to start the season, as the Canes began to control the flow of the game.

Canes goalie Petr Mrazek had to weather a tough first period, when the Canes were sluggish and the Sharks took a 2-0 lead. But the Canes found their legs and Mrazek received more help as the game unfolded.

Defenseman Justin Faulk again showed off some goaltending ability, just as he did in the game Monday in Detroit, making a kick save in the second to help out Mrazek.

Forward Jordan Martinook made a big defensive play in the third, hustling back for a diving poke check to break up a partial breakaway by the Sharks’ Marcus Sorensen.

The Canes had not played since Monday and the 3-1 win over the Red Wings and it showed in the first. Nothing was sharp, nor were the Canes the aggressors. Passes never found the tape. Players were slow to the puck.

The Sharks took advantage, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Antti Suomela — his first in the NHL — and Timo Meier on a power play.

But the second would be different. From the opening shift, the Canes showed some fire, forechecking with speed, with a purpose.

Hamilton scored on a one-timer that glanced off the stick of Sharks defenseman Brent Burns in the slot — Hamilton’s first goal of the season and first with the Hurricanes.

A slashing penalty against Canes center Lucas Wallmark appeared to be a momentum-killer as Tomas Hertl scored for a 3-1 Sharks lead. But the Canes kept coming, kept attacking and the Sharks turned sloppy and indecisive in their zone.

A Sharks turnover became McGinn first goal of the season as Wallmark and Brenden Dillon battled in front of the net.

Another turnover, on an awful pass from the wall by the Sharks’ Evander Kane, led to a tie score as Teravainen ripped a shot past Aaron Dell off a Sebastian Aho pass.

Aho has the best point streak to start a season since the Canes relocated from Hartford, Conn. Ron Francis, then with the Whalers, had an 11-game streak, the longest in franchise history.

Both goalies made big saves midway through the third — Mrazek on a Joe Pavelski tip and Dell twice denying Warren Foegele. A crowd of 12,311 turned out in a cold, rainy night.

Also in the crowd: Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, in to scout the game.