Carrier, Robinson score late in 2nd period and Hurricanes beat Sharks 5-1 to improve to 3-0

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — William Carrier and Eric Robinson scored 4 1/2 minutes apart late in the second period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Sean Walker Shayne Gostisbehere and Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won three straight to open the season. Logan Stankoven had two assists and Brandon Bussi stopped 16 shots in his NHL debut.

William Eklund scored for San Jose, and Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 38 saves. San Jose had opened the season with two overtime losses.

The Hurricanes topped 40 shots on goal for the second straight game, and held the Sharks without a shot in the third period.

Sharks rookie center Michael Misa, the second overall pick in this year's draft made his NHL debut. The 18-year-old logged 15:06 of ice time and had no shots on goal.

Walker got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard 1:24 into the second period as he one-timed a pass from Sebastian Aho from straightaway through traffic past Nedeljkovic.

Eklund tied it at 4:38 as he got a pass from Tyler Toffoli and sent a shot that went through the 27-year-old Bussi's pads and into the goal.

Carrier put the Hurricanes back ahead 2-1 with 5:46 left in the middle period. Alexander Nikishin went to the net, got a pass from Jordan Martinook, and sent a backhander off Nedeljkovic and the post and the puck lay in the paint. Carrier came in and knocked it in.

Robinson gave Carolina a two-goal lead with 1:21 left in the period as he got a lead pass from Mike Reilly, skated in on Nedeljkovic and put a backhander past the goalie.

Gostisbehere pushed Carolina’s lead to 4-1 at 1:52 of the third and Blake made it a four-goal lead at 7:25.

The Hurricanes outshot the Sharks 14-8 in a scoreless first period. San Jose had three power plays but were shut down on each one by a Hurricanes team that had the league’s top penalty-kill last season.

Hurricanes: At Anaheim on Thursday in the second of a six-game trip.

Sharks: At Utah on Friday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (26) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic deflects a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Carolina Hurricanes left wing William Carrier (28) scores a goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of a 75-year-old inmate who was set to be executed this week even though he was not in the building when the victim was killed.

Ivey reduced Charles “Sonny” Burton’s sentence to life in prison without possibility of parole, marking just the second time the Republican governor has granted clemency of a death row inmate since taking office in 2017.

Burton was sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting death of a customer, Doug Battle, during a store robbery. However, another man, Derrick DeBruce, shot Battle after Burton had left the building. DeBruce's death sentence was later reduced on appeal to life in prison.

Ivey, who has presided over 25 executions, said she firmly believes in the death penalty as "just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders," but said it also must be administered fairly and proportionately.

“I cannot proceed in good conscience with the execution of Mr. Burton under such disparate circumstances. I believe it would be unjust for one participant in this crime to be executed while the participant who pulled the trigger was not,” Ivey said in a statement.

Burton was scheduled to be executed Thursday night by nitrogen gas.

Battle was shot in the back during an Aug. 16, 1991, robbery of an AutoZone auto parts store in Talladega. Court testimony indicated that DeBruce shot Battle after Burton and other robbers had left the store. Battle had entered the store as the robbery was winding down and exchanged words with DeBruce.

Burton’s supporters and family members had urged Ivey to consider clemency for the inmate, who is sometimes confined to a wheelchair. Multiple jurors from Burton’s 1992 trial were among those urging his life be spared. Battle’s daughter sent a letter to Ivey urging clemency, asking “how does it legally make sense” to execute Burton.

Members of Burton's legal team cheered when they received the news Tuesday.

“I’m just so happy, so happy. It’s just tears of joy,” Burton’s daughter, Lois Harris, said through sobs during a telephone interview. Harris said she wants to thank Ivey for her decision.

But Attorney General Steve Marshall slammed Ivey's decision, saying “There has never been any doubt that Sonny Burton has Douglas Battle’s blood on his hands.”

Burton organized the armed robbery and “held a gun to the store manager’s head” before dividing up the proceeds, Marshall said in a statement.

Burton told The Associated Press last month that no one was supposed to be injured in the robbery and that he didn't know until later that DeBruce had shot anyone.

“I didn’t know anything about nobody getting hurt until we were on the way back. No, nobody supposed to get hurt,” Burton said in a telephone interview from Alabama’s Holman Correctional Facility

Burton said he wants to apologize to Battle’s family. “I’m so sorry. If I had the power to bring him back, I would. I’m so sorry,” Burton said.

People gather outside the Alabama Governor's Mansion in Montgomery, Ala., on Feb. 16, 2026, to urge Gov. Kay Ivey to grant clemency to Sonny Burton, who is scheduled to be executed on March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)