Anaheim Ducks center Antoine Vermette (50) scores a goal past San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) during a shootout in an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. The Ducks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Matthew Harrington

SAN  JOSE–The San Jose Sharks woes continue at home after Team Teal fell to their Southern California rivals the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 Monday night. Joonas Donskoi scored a pair of goals but former Hart Trophy Winner Corey Perry and Rickard Rackell scored for Anaheim. Anaheim led 2-1 heading into the third but San Jose rallied back before watching Antoine Vermette scored in the ninth round of the shootout for a Ducks victory.

The Sharks have now lost three-straight games at home against struggling opponents, losing to the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins last week. The Ducks meanwhile have won three-straight after beating the Sharks in the second contest decided by the skills competition. The Sharks won the previous meeting on a Donskoi dazzler in the shootout in their only other overtime contest of the season.

One positive for the Sharks has been the reemergence of Joonas Donskoi this season. The Finnish winger matched his sophomore season goal total after beating Reto Berra 3:31 into the game. Logan Couture picked up the assist on Donskoi’s sixth goal of the year.

The Ducks answered back in the second period with a pair of unanswered goals. First Perry beat Martin Jones just 45 seconds into the second period on what appeared to be a set faceoff play. After the Ducks won the faceoff back to Rickard Rackell, Rackell dished the puck to Brandon Montour at the point to Jones’ left. Montour then fed a pass cross-seam to Perry waiting on the opposite post. From there Perry, a one-time 50-goal scorer knew what to do, positing the puck in the net for a tie game.

The Ducks have been depleted by injury this season, missing players like Ryan Kesler, Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler for large chunks of time. While it has hurt the Ducks in the standings, it has given an opportunity for other players to thrive. Rickard Rackell has taken his opportunity and run with it, as evidenced by him scoring his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the second.

In the waning seconds of a Kevin Labanc penalty, Corey Perry picked up the puck in the slot. Jones stopped his initial shot, but Rackell crashed the net and put the loose puck between the pads of a sprawling Jones for a 2-1 lead at 11:39 into the second.

The Sharks powerplay looked markedly improved following the call-up of Daniel O’Regan before the game against Boston Saturday. He contributed in a big way on the Sharks second goal, winning the board battle before passing the puck to Donskoi. Donskoi dropped the pass back for O’Regan whose shot laid lonely in the crease off a Berra rebound. Tomas Hertl took a swipe on it and whiffed, but ultimately Donskoi connected for his seventh of the year 8:19 into the third.

Neither team found the back of the net in the three-on-three overtime session. The Ducks had the hammer on the shootout and took an early advantage after Logan Couture missed and Corey Perry scored. Joonas Donskoi pulled a reverse move in from his previous shootout winner in the top of the third round with the Sharks down 1-0 and beat Berra to even it up, and Jones at the other end made the stop. Brent Burns’ backhander went in to give the Sharks a temporary lead, but Jones couldn’t stop Cam Fowler’s fourth round attempt to seal the win.

Both teams missed in the fifth round, but two rookie defenseman (San Jose’s Tim Heed & Anaheim’s Brandon Montour) scored in the sixth. From there it was all misses until Vermette tucked his shot inside the post for the win. The Sharks will head to the road to face the Arizona Coyotes for the first time all season Wednesday night, then continue a mini roadtrip by heading to Vegas for their first stop there Friday. After that, the Sharks return home to face the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this year as well.