Rookie center Antti Suomela made an impression on the Sharks in the preseason, but had yet to find the back of the net in regular-season play. That changed Friday evening when he notched his first NHL goal against the Carolina Hurricanes.
San Jose and Carolina exchanged chances through the first eight minutes of the first period, until Evander Kane passed the puck off to Suomela in the neutral zone. The 24-year-old Finn cradled the puck as he entered the zone and skated around Carolina defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Dougie Hamilton, so he was right in front of netminder Petr Mrazek. With Mrazek slightly off center, Suomela tucked the puck past him before tripping over his own skates. The marker put the Sharks on the board 1-0.
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Suomela led the top division in Finland in goal-scoring a season ago. With moves like that, it's easy to see why.