Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

Hurricanes

Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

Feb 6, 2009

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Backup goalie Michael Leighton made 37 saves in his first start since Christmas, and Sergei Samsonov scored the shootout winner in the Carolina Hurricanes' 4-3 victory over San Jose on Thursday night.

Ray Whitney tied it with 12:30 left in regulation for the Hurricanes, who got one of the biggest wins of their up-and-down season in the NHL's toughest arena for visiting teams. They did it without injured captain Rod Brind'Amour and All-Star forward Eric Staal, who left the game before the third period because of a lower-body injury.

Evgeni Nabokov stopped 26 shots for the Sharks, who lost back-to-back games at the Tank for the first time all season. Ryane Clowe had a goal and an assist, and Alexei Semenov scored his first goal of the season for the Sharks, who dropped to 23-2-3 at the Tank with just the third set of back-to-back losses all season for the Western Conference leaders.

San Jose had the last four days off after a 4-2 home loss to Chicago, just the Sharks' second defeat in regulation at the Tank this season. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored and Milan Michalek added three assists for the Sharks, but San Jose's vaunted top line of Joe Thornton, captain Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi hasn't scored a goal that didn't go into an empty net in four straight games.

Carolina hadn't won in San Jose since March 4, 2000, but Staal's injury dampened the celebration. It wasn't clear when Staal, Carolina's second-leading scorer with 38 points, was injured or what happened, but he didn't play after the second intermission.

Brind'Amour also missed his first game of the season after heading back to Raleigh to recover from a lower-body injury. In his place, 23-year-old Czech rookie Jakub Petruzalek made his NHL debut with an assist on a goal by Samsonov, who tipped home Petruzalek's shot late in the second period.

Leighton had played just 37 minutes of mop-up duty since Dec. 23 for the Hurricanes, who took Cam Ward out of the net after 17 consecutive starts. Matt Cullen scored on a penalty shot and assisted on Whitney's goal for the Hurricanes, who opened their three-game road trip Tuesday night with a tough loss in Vancouver.

In the clubs' first meeting since March 24, 2007, All-Star defenseman Dan Boyle returned to the Sharks' lineup after missing three games to rest a wrist injury that popped up before last month's All-Star break.

Clowe scored his 20th goal of the season midway through the first period, tipping home a loose puck. Semenov then scored his first goal in 23 games this season with a long shot that deflected off defenseman Anton Babchuk.

Cullen converted his penalty shot a few minutes later after Christian Ehrhoff interrupted his breakaway, but Vlasic answered with a power play goal on a superb setup from Clowe behind the net.

After Samsonov kept Carolina close, Whitney -- who spent much of the second period holding his right hand in anguish on the bench -- tied it when San Jose's defense became ragged after a penalty kill.

The Sharks visit Columbus on Saturday night to begin the first of two lengthy East Coast trips in February. The nine games on those trips, which include a showdown with NHL-leading Boston on Tuesday night, will determine whether San Jose has a chance to head into the playoffs with the league's best record.

San Jose hopes to get defenseman Brad Lukowich and forward Jeremy Roenick back from injury during their five-game road trip.

Game notes
San Jose plays 14 of its next 20 games on the road. ... Tim Lincecum, the Giants' Cy Young-winning pitcher, dropped the ceremonial first puck in a No. 55 Sharks jersey. ... Petruzalek was recalled earlier Thursday from Carolina's top minor-league affiliate in Albany, where he was second among the River Rats with 34 points in 47 games.

Most Recent Comments

RE: Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

I hope they can follow up this game with another good effort. Don't dwell on the win.

RE: Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

^ Vancouver was a disappointing loss, no denying that. But you make it sound like they are horrible.. they are fighting for the last spot in the west, like the canes are in the much easier east.

RE: Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

The AP story on this game quoted Michael Leighton as saying, "This win shows we can compete against any team in the league."

I agree that they CAN compete against anyone. My question is why they DON'T. I think this team has enough talent to go pretty deep into the playoffs, but at this point, I'm doubtful that they'll even make the playoffs. Last night was a great win, but the prior game was a very disappointing loss - and that's how the whole season has been. There have been some impressive games against good teams, but usually followed up with a weak effort and a loss to a team they should easily beat. There are brief spurts where the team plays up to its potential, but most of the time we only see mediocrity. If they'd play like the first period of the Atlanta game all the time, they could go far.

It also seems like they play better after they get down 2 goals. Maybe they should just give the opponent 2 goals to start the game and play the whole 60 minutes like they do after they're in a hole.

As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with aoakley336. Rod Brind'Amour has been a great asset to this team for years, but not this year. I don't know if he just hasn't recovered from the injury/surgery last year or if age is showing, but he hasn't really done much that I've seen to help the team this season.

RE: Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

Let's congradulate the Canes on a tough, hard fought, well played game...was happy to see Leighton play so well and pick up a W. Go Canes!

RE: Samsonov steps up in shootout as short-handed Canes beat Sharks

Huge win, Sharks are a very good team. as I have said, Canes play "Their Game" they can beat anyone (and are on of the best teams). Now, just get rid of Maurice, bring in Kevin Deneen.

WRAL Sports Fan

Hurricanes