STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A power-play goal in the third period by Logan Couture lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
In Helsinki, Jeff Skinner's shootout goal gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild.
The two games were part of six regular-season matches being played in Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic this week in the NHL's biggest opening tour in Europe.
A first-period goal on a backhander by Torrey Mitchell gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead. A power-play goal midway through the period by Joe Thornton put the Sharks up 2-0, but Columbus then struck back with two goals in just 15 seconds.
Swede Kristian Huselius's power-play goal at 16:55 was followed by a tally from R.J. Umberger at 17:10.
San Jose wrapped things up with Couture's game-winner, a wrist shot, at 10:15 of the final period.
The Hurricanes made it a clean sweep against the Wild, having beaten Minnesota 4-3 in the Finnish capital on Thursday.
Minnesota got the first score on Friday in the opening period with an Andrew Brunette power-play goal, a backhander at 17:23.
But two minutes into the second period, Carolina pulled even with a Tuomo Ruutu tally, using assists by fellow Finn Jussi Jokinen and Skinner.
The game-winning goal by the 18-year-old Skinner, a nine-foot wrist shot fired by Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom, was the only score of the shootout.
Backstrom had 36 saves but was outdone by Carolina's Cam Ward who was spectacular in goal with 41 saves.
Columbus and San Jose meet again in the second Stockholm game on Saturday while the Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes are due to clash twice in Prague.
(Reporting by Patrick Lannin; editing by Steve Ginsburg)
