The San Jose Sharks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Sunday, December 7, 2025, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Sharks' victory marked their first road win against the Hurricanes since February 4, 2018.
Collin Graf opened the scoring for the Sharks just 33 seconds into the first period. Macklin Celebrini, in his 100th career game, delivered a "spectacular pass" to Graf who tapped it past Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. The Hurricanes responded when Jordan Staal scored a power-play goal at 13:18 of the first period, deflecting a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere. It was Staal's first power-play goal in over four years.
John Klingberg gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 7:54 of the second period, with Celebrini again providing the assist. Klingberg's one-timer beat Kochetkov. Alexander Wennberg extended the lead to 3-1 with a goal off a rebound with 4:46 remaining in the second. Celebrini sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:20 left in the game.
Alex Nedeljkovic, a former Hurricanes draft pick, was solid in net for the Sharks, stopping 29 of 30 shots. Kochetkov, making his first start after an eight-game injury absence, saved 18 of 21 shots but suffered his first loss of the season.
The Sharks' new-look lines displayed balance and responsibility against a strong Hurricanes team. Their power play also showed improvement, converting on one of two opportunities. Macklin Celebrini had a standout performance with a goal and two assists. With this performance, Celebrini tied Connor McDavid for the NHL lead in assists with 28. He also moved ahead of McDavid by one point for second in the scoring race with 43 points, six points behind Nathan MacKinnon. William Eklund also marked his 200th NHL game.
The Hurricanes were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2006 Stanley Cup-winning team. Many players from that team, along with former coach Peter Laviolette, were in attendance and will be further honored before their next home game.
The Sharks will play the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
