Sharks 3, Ducks 1
Brad Winchester and Benn Ferriero scored 27 seconds apart late in the second period and Antti Niemi made 16 of his 26 saves in the third period as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks for the first time this season, 3-1 on Wednesday.
Joe Pavelski added a goal in the third period for the Sharks, who had lost three straight one-goal games to the NHL’s second-worst team.
Reigning Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry scored for the Ducks, who are 20 points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Jonas Hiller stopped 33 shots and had his five-game winning streak against the Sharks snapped.
Perry gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead at 2:37 of the first period. Andrew Cogliano collected a turnover near the blue line and flipped a high pass to Perry, who was stationed in front and slipped a backhander past Niemi.
Winchester beat Hiller to the blocker side with a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle and Ferriero chopped a loose puck past Hiller at 16:50.
The barrage began 25 seconds after Niemi stopped Bobby Ryan with a desperate left pad along the ice after the Anaheim star spun around the defense off the half wall and moved in all alone.
Moments before Pavelski’s score, defenseman Dan Boyle kept it 2-1 when he cleared the puck off the San Jose goal line, and seconds later, Anaheim’s Nick Bonino hit the crossbar.