By The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the winless San Jose Sharks 3-0 on Friday night thanks to Teuvo Teravainen’s hat trick.

Teravainen recorded two goals in the opening period and secured a hat trick in the third. So far this season, he has scored seven goals in nine games, a significant improvement from his 12 goals in 68 games last season.

Antti Raanta blocked 20 attempts and achieved his 10th consecutive victory in a home game.

According to coach Rod Brind’Amour, he made numerous exceptional saves, which allowed us to comfortably maintain control.

The Sharks are currently the only team in the NHL without a win, with a record of 0-7-1. They are close to tying their franchise’s worst start with one more loss. They have not won a game in their last 14 matches, dating back to April.

Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho both contributed two assists for the Hurricanes, who have a perfect 3-0-0 record at home this season.

Andrei Svechnikov returned to the Hurricanes lineup after missing the entire playoff run last season due to a significant knee injury. The All-Star forward made his season debut for the team.

Although Svechnikov received the most enthusiastic applause, Teravainen was the standout performer. His initial goal occurred during a power play at 6:10 in the first period, courtesy of a flawless assist from Jarvis.

At 15:10, Teravainen made his second goal by taking a one-timer pass from Dmitry Orlov in the right circle.

At the six minute and six second mark of the third period, he scored his third goal.

Teravainen is usually known for his passing abilities rather than his scoring skills while playing for Carolina. His strong performance at the beginning of the season has boosted his self-assurance.

Teravainen stated, “Last year, I was lacking in that aspect.” He continued, “I was too hard on myself. But after tonight, I can finally have some confidence in myself.”

The Hurricanes are feeling more self-assured following a road trip in which they only managed to win twice out of six games. According to Raanta, the team’s performance in their 3-2 victory over Seattle on Thursday was a promising indication.

Raanta, with a remarkable record of 14-0-1 in his last 15 home starts, stated that all members of the team are well aware of our playing style and what strategies are effective for us. He believes that if we stick to our game plan, our talents will shine through eventually.

Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 36 shots for the Sharks, who are experiencing their worst beginning to a season since 1993-94.

According to San Jose coach David Quinn, every team experiences losing streaks at some point during the season. Unfortunately, ours is happening early on and lasting longer than we would prefer. However, we have a strong belief in our team.

In March, Svechnikov underwent surgical treatment for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 23-year-old Russian had a successful season with 23 goals and 55 points in 64 games prior to his injury.

UP NEXT

The Sharks will be playing in Washington on Sunday.

The upcoming game against the Philadelphia team is on Monday night.

___

The NHL section of the AP news website can be found at: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL.

Source: wralsportsfan.com