Sharks 3, Ducks 2 (SO): Shootout victory in final season series meeting

Logan Couture helped the San Jose Sharks (30-18-8) defeat the Anaheim Ducks (27-19-11) in a 3-2 shootout victory on Sunday night.

This was the final meeting of the four-game season series between these Pacific Division rivals. The Sharks held a 2-0-1 record before this game, with two of the three match ups ending in a shootout and San Jose taking the last one by a four-point margin.

The Sharks started off slow in the first period, and it costed them early with the bad guys striking first. The Ducks’ Ondrej Kase scored nearly three minutes into the game on a shot that sneaked by Martin Jones, right between the five-hole.

The rest of the period saw limited action, but the Sharks’ penalty kill unit lived up to its number one ranking, as they had to kill off two penalties from Brent Burns and Kevin Labanc in the period.

The next time a goal was scored happened nearly seven minutes into the third period, when the Ducks extended their lead to two goals; Jones redirected a shot and then Cam Fowler cleaned up.

But from here on, it was all Sharks, as they rallied from their deficit.

Logan Couture got the Sharks on the scoreboard first by scoring a one-timer almost five minutes after the Fowler goal, cutting the Ducks lead to one.

Later in the period, the Sharks pulled Jones from the net and the team capitalized with the extra-man advantage tying the game after a laser shot by Timo Meier with 53.7 seconds left in the game.

No team scored in overtime, so as most Sharks versus Ducks games have gone this season, they needed a shootout to decide a winner.

In the shootout, Jones set the tone by saving the first attempt by Adam Henrique, then Joe Pavelski followed and scored for the Sharks.

The Ducks’ next man up was Rickard Rakell, who missed on his attempt, and then Couture capped off his two-point night scoring the shootout winning goal.

Couture’s post-game included comments about his shootout celly — he turned the lights off as a tip of the cap to Joe Thornton.

NOTES:

• Though the Sharks’ offense started out slow, they had plenty of chances. Ducks goalie John Gibson saw 39 shots come his way, with 26 of them coming in the second and third periods. Jones faced just 27 shots on goal.
• Face offs are a big part of the game and luckily for the Sharks who trailed for most of the game performed well in that department tonight. The Sharks won 58 percent of face offs, while the Ducks were at 42 percent.
• 10 of Timo Meier’s 14 goals this season have been lead-changing, either tying the game or giving the Sharks the lead.
• The Sharks have now won three games straight at Anaheim. Their one loss this season came in San Jose.