The Anaheim Ducks alternated wins and losses for the eighth straight game, falling 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks and getting shutout for the second time this season. The loss drops the Ducks to 24-9-6, though their 54 standings points remains a league-high total.
The Sharks started the scoring off at the 4:33 mark of the first period. Marc-Edouard Vlasic fired a shot from the point in the vicinity of the net, and Joe Pavelski had his stick on the ice and tipped the shot past goaltender Frederik Andersen for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Pavelski’s team-leading 18th tally of the season, and he has now scored a goal in each of the four games against the Ducks this season.
The Sharks would extend their lead to 2-0 at the 1:58 mark of the third period. The Ducks were shorthanded by two men because of an altercation at the end of the second period. Tommy Wingels was eventually sent to the box for interference, but Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler were each sent off for roughing, while Ryan Getzlaf threw his stick after the calls and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. With the open ice, the Sharks continued to make passes and shots, and eventually, Pavelski found the net again to extend the lead. Pavelski now has five goals in four games against the Ducks this season, as well as ten power-play goals.
The Sharks would ice the game over with one more score. With 2:18 left in the game, Bruce Boudreau called his timeout and pulled Andersen after Antti Niemi covered a Hampus Lindholm shot. However, the Sharks would control the draw, and Logan Couture sent the puck down the length of the ice into the empty net, giving the Sharks a 3-0 lead and the game. The goal was Couture’s 14th of the season.
The Sharks had eight power-play opportunities in this game, while the Ducks had three (though two for both squads were abbreviated, as the Ducks would commit a penalty during two of their man-advantage situations). However, that isn’t an excuse. A team should be good enough to win, regardless of the presence of the officials. Neither the first Pavelski goal nor the Couture empty-netter were referee-assisted in any way. The second Pavelski goal came as a result of a 5-on-3 that would have never happened had Getzlaf kept his cool and vented his frustration in the tunnel or in the locker room, instead of in front of the referee.
At the end of the day, the final score would have still been 3-0. The Ducks were not the better team, and they did not deserve this win. They brought this result upon themselves and lost. All the players were equally ineffective in a sense, so there will be no three stars.
Instead, the Ducks’ next opponent will be the St. Louis Blues on Friday, who are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Vladimir Tarasenko has 39 points to lead the Blues, including 22 goals. The Russian winger is having an outstanding season thus far. Kevin Shattenkirk has been terrific for the Blues as well, logging a team-high 24 assists and 19 power-play points. The assist figure is second among NHL defensemen, only behind Mark Giordano, while the 19 power-play points is a league-high. Alex Pietrangelo plays a team-leading 25:35 per game, while logging 17 assists and 21 points of his own. The Blues are currently 22-12-3 and sit in the third spot in the Central Division, behind only the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.