How They Fared: San Jose Sharks Owned The Anaheim Ducks
Nov 29, 2014; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks fight during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
There is no love lost when the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks square off against one another and it was no different this past season. The two division rivals met five times throughout the year and San Jose was able to get the better of Anaheim.
With the Western Conference Finals beginning today, let’s take a look back and see how the Sharks fared against the Ducks.
Oct. 26 at Anaheim
The Sharks traveled to Anaheim riding a four-game losing streak, including a 2-1 loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres. However, San Jose would get back on the winning track against the Ducks.
Brent Burns got the Sharks on the board with his third of the season and Joe Pavelski added a second tally with just 21 seconds remaining in the first to give San Jose a 2-0 lead. Marc-Edouard Vlasic would add to the Sharks lead with his second of the year midway through the second before the fisticuffs erupted in the third.
The two teams combined for 163 penalty minutes and numerous fights as the Ducks ended the game with only nine or 10 players left on their bench. San Jose would take the game 4-1 for a much needed victory.
Nov. 29 vs. Anaheim
The two teams would meet one month later at SAP Center and this matchup would feature much more hockey and scoring than fighting.
Logan Couture would score twice in the first period, including one shorthanded, while Pavelski would score 10th goal on the power play with 14 seconds remaining in the first to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead after one period of play.
Tommy Wingels and Tomas Hertl would score early in the second period and chase Anaheim starter Frederik Andersen who made only 14 saves on 19 shots. However, the Ducks would score three straight goals, one at the end of the second and two early in the third period, to cut teh San Jose lead to 5-4.
Matt Nieto would seal the game for the Sharks as San Jose would hang on to win 6-4 and their second straight win over the Ducks.
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Dec. 22 at Anaheim
San Jose returned to Southern California to take on Anaheim and this was probably the best played game between the two teams.
After a scoreless first period, the Ducks would take a 1-0 lead behind Rickard Rakell’s first of the season. San Jose would answer back in the third behind who else but Pavelski who tied the game at one on the power play. Melker Karlsson would give the Sharks the lead with his first NHL goal, but Cam Fowler would send the game to overtime for the Ducks.
In the overtime session, Ryan Kesler would win it 58 seconds into OT for Anaheim’s only victory over San Jose.
Dec. 31 at Anaheim
Nine days later, the Sharks were back at the Honda Center looking for revenge and they would get just that.
Pavelski would get things going for the Sharks at the 4:33 mark of the first period, but he wasn’t done yet. He would extend San Jose’s lead with his 19th goal of the season at the 1:59 mark of the third period. Couture would add the final exclamation mark at 17:55 of the third, and Antti Niemi would make the lead hold up.
Niemi made 28 saves for his 30th career shutout and San Jose closed out 2014 on a high note.
Jan. 29 vs. Anaheim
In their final meeting of the season, the Sharks blew this one open in the middle frame. After the teams traded goals in the first period, San Jose would score five goals in a second period explosion that would bury the Ducks.
Barclay Goodrow, Patrick Marleau, Matt Irwin, James Sheppard and Brenden Dillon would all score in the second as the Sharks rolled to a 6-3 victory.
San Jose would pick up nine out of a possible 10 points against Anaheim during the regular season and would outscore the Ducks by a 21-11 margin. Unfortunately, the Sharks couldn’t play more games against Anaheim.