ANAHEIM — The NHL All-Star break is coming at an inopportune time for the Ducks.
They’re hot.
After taking three of four possible points in a pair of recent road games, the Ducks returned to Honda Center on Wednesday night, securing their NHL-best ninth third-period comeback by defeating the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 in overtime, giving them points in six of their last seven games.
The contest between the bottom teams in the Pacific Division was tight as they alternated goals until 2024 All-Star Frank Vatrano scored with 53 seconds left in the 5-minute overtime, making the upcoming flight to Toronto all the more enjoyable for the 29-year-old from Massachusetts. Troy Terry had tied the score with 1:01 remaining in regulation before assisting on Vatrano’s game-winning goal.
The Ducks nearly grabbed an early lead in the opening minute of the game when rookie defenseman Olen Zellweger banged a shot off the piping.
For the next five minutes, the Ducks (18-30-2, 38 points) kept a dangerous edge about them by pushing the action and creating several quality chances against the Sharks (14-32-5, 33 points), who entered the game feeling good about themselves after beating the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday in San Jose.
At 2:12, Ducks winger Isak Lundestrom netted his second goal of the season, cleaning up a rebound in front of San Jose goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to make it 1-0.
The strong start gave way when a tripping penalty on Brett Leason at 5:44 gave the Sharks an opportunity to collect themselves and step into the game.
San Jose forward Anthony Duclair’s ninth goal, thanks in part to the first NHL point from defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, cashed in the power-play chance at 6:59.
Both teams asserted themselves with stretches of sustained action in the opposing zone. By the end of the first period, after each side had two tries with a man advantage, the score remained unchanged.
The stalemate held until 17:57 of the middle frame.
San Jose snatched a 2-1 lead on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic slapshot from the blue line that flew end-over-end through traffic, beating goaltender John Gibson on his stick side. The Canadian defenseman’s five goals have all come in the last nine games.
Needing another third-period comeback to head into the All-Star break in good form, the Ducks peppered San Jose with 15 shots and held a near 2:1 possession advantage in the offensive zone.
Kahkonen stood firm until the end, saving 31 shots, including all seven on the Sharks’ penalty kill.
Gibson, meanwhile, made 26 saves.
The Ducks found the equalizer after Gibson skated to the bench.
Terry’s 15th goal of the season, thanks to Leo Carlsson’s 11th assist and Adam Henrique’s 18th, came at 18:59.
Terry then set up Vatrano, sliding the puck under a defender’s stick, for the overtime game-winner.
More to come on this story.
Josh Gross
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