~ Photo credit: Jae C. Hong AP Photo

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ ANAHEIM– While not as late of a goal, San Jose lost their second game in a row in similar fashion as the Ducks won 3-2 Friday.

The Sharks created another 2-0 hole in the first and before the game winner, it was another 2-2 game. In fact, it could have been another 4-2 ending on an empty netter, if Brent Burns did not more glaringly stop the second shot from Andrew Cogliano.

The winning play started with Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie, playing against Brenden Dillon, as Ritchie turned and paused briefly before passing to Hampus Lindholm at the top of the circle. Lindholm used Ward as a screen as the puck went between Ward’s legs and Martin Jones’ arm and pad, leaving Jones shaking his head. It was Lindholm’s first goal of the season at 14:22.   

Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer said, “We’re finding ways to lose instead of win, and we got to get on the other end of that.”  

Still with the extra attacker, San Jose’s Kevin Labanc and Joel Ward had shot opportunities until Dylan Demelo committed a tripping penalty with 21.3 seconds left. After that, the Ducks had three shots until the game ended.  

In the tight Pacific division, Anaheim now sits at first place while the Sharks fall to fourth. The postgame notes revealed the Ducks have now earned standings points in six of its last seven games.

Anaheim’s Rickard Rakell made an immediate contribution in his return to the ice.  Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s clear went to Shea Theodore. Rakell then took Theodore’s rebound and went around Jones’ left pad to score at 4:44.

For the Ducks’ second goal, Antoine Vermette passed to Theodore who passed back to Vermette. Vermette’s soft shot went past Jones diagonally at 15:06.

However, Rakell committed cross checking with just over two minutes left in the first. San Jose took advantage of the momentum less than two seconds after the power play was over. From the boards, Joe Pavelski passed to Patrick Marleau and from the edge of one faceoff circle to the other, Marleau found Burns. His quick shot came from a lunge position and went top shelf with just 5.7 seconds remaining. It was Burns’ third goal in as many games and fourth in five.  

Jakob Silfverberg was the only player for Anaheim with multiple shots in the period, with four

In the second period, two shots found goalie Jonathan Bernier instead of the net, as he was in position left and out of the net. At 8:40 though, Bernier was against the net and turning as Labanc scored from the left to even the score. The way the puck reached Labanc was similar to first goal with Ward and Couture replacing Pavelski and Marleau. It was Pavelski’s third assist in as many game and fourth point in three games.

The Ducks had two power play opportunities during the period.

It was over a period’s worth of time until the deadlock was broken.

On how the guys felt going into the third period, Labanc replied, “We felt confident, a little too confident, I’d say. We stopped skating, we stopped dumping the puck in and working hard in the corners…It’s a good learning experience…We just got to play the full 60.

Game notes: The Sharks’ David Schlemko continued to remain out. San Jose goes back home to finish a back-to-back against Carolina at 7:30pm Saturday.