Pirate Galaxy » I see it being a close game because Houston has some o

RALEIGH, N.C. -- It had been a while since Joakim Nordstrom scored a goal, and even longer since Cam Ward shut out an opponent.Both droughts are over -- and now the Carolina Hurricanes are no longer in last place.Nordstrom scored with 9:12 left, Ward made 22 saves in his first shutout in over a year and the Hurricanes beat the San Jose Sharks 1-0 on Tuesday night for their second straight win.Its starting to come together, Carolina coach Bill Peters said.Ward got the 24th shutout of his career and first since he blanked Colorado on Oct. 21, 2015, while improving to 6-1 in his career against the Sharks.That helped the Hurricanes escape last place in the Metropolitan Division, in the process snapping the defending Western Conference champions three-game winning streak.Youve got to build some momentum, and certainly these last two games have been our best two games of the year, and we did it in a real good fashion, playing the way we wanted to play, and dominated at times, Ward said. Thats a compliment to the guys. ... Its not going to get any easier, but we showed what we can do when were on, for sure.Aaron Dell stopped 32 shots in his third career game and his second start for the Sharks.He was excellent, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. Gave us a chance to hang around in a game we didnt deserve to be in. Thats all you can ask from him.San Jose, which averages nearly 30 shots per game, managed just two in the second period before coming on strong in the third. The Sharks were shut out for the third time this season and second time this month.They took the game over in the second period, DeBoer said. Their compete level went up another notch and we didnt go with them.The sequence that led to Nordstroms goal was started by Viktor Stalberg, who broke up a breakaway attempt with his stick. Ward then blocked Joonas Donskois tip-in try, and that eventually led to a rush the other way, with Nordstrom backhanding the rebound of his own shot past Dells glove for the fourth-line forwards first goal of the season. He had 10 last year.I couldnt believe my eyes when I missed the first one, so I was kind of happy to get the second chance, Nordstrom said.Before that score, the goalies had put on a show for the overwhelming majority of this one, with Dell and Ward matching each other save for save. Dell made a slick stop on a rising shot by Jeff Skinner early in the third, and a few minutes later Ward stopped a tricky tip from Logan Couture with about 13 1/2 minutes left.Game notes San Jose scratched C Melker Karlsson, who injured his left ankle while blocking a shot Saturday against Tampa Bay. ... Carolina activated D Justin Faulk from injured reserve before the game. Faulk (upper body) missed three games. ... The teams meet again Dec. 10 in San Jose.UP NEXTSan Jose: The Sharks continue their six-game road trip at St. Louis on Thursday night.Carolina: The Hurricanes play host to Montreal on Friday night in the third game of their critical five-game homestand. Custom Houston Astros Nike Jerseys . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Custom Toronto Blue Jays Nike Jerseys . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-kansas-city-royals-nike-jerseys . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Custom San Francisco Giants Nike Jerseys .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Custom Chicago Cubs Nike Jerseys . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. ESPN senior writer Mike Sando asks league insiders to pick winners in selected games each week. Three personnel evaluators took the challenge in Week 5. The games on the docket:?Texans-Vikings, Falcons-Broncos, Bengals-Cowboys, Bills-Rams and Giants-Packers.Houston Texans at Minnesota VikingsSunday:?1 p.m. ET, CBS |?Point spread: MIN by 6.5While all three insiders took the Vikings, there was some thought the Texans might keep it closer than expected.I see it being a close game because Houston has some offensive firepower on the perimeter, one of the evaluators said, but that offensive line is shaky. I could ssee a 17-13 type game, but with the home field, Minnesota thrives in that arena.ddddddddddddThere was some thought Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins could have some success, but that teammate Will Fuller would struggle against the Vikings press coverage.No one has figured out the Vikings D so far this year and I dont expect Houston to either, another insider said. The Texans O-line will be heavily outmatched and their defense will have to force turnovers on Bradford to have a chance. ' ' '