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Sharks center Ryan Donato leaps over teammate Dylan Gambrell, left, to avoid a shot at Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the first period of Monday’s game in San Jose. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks center Sam Steel (23) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks left wing Evander Kane (9) moves the puck against the Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm (47) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) looks back as the puck goes in, on a shot by San Jose Sharks left wing John Leonard, as center Ryan Donato (16) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson makes a save against San Jose Sharks right wing Kevin Labanc (62) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks left wing John Leonard (43) battles for the puck against Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks left wing John Leonard (43) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks defenseman Nicolas Meloche (53) chases down a puck past Anaheim Ducks left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (20) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (47) skates past San Jose Sharks right wing Stefan Noesen (11) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) makes a save against the Anaheim Ducks as left wing Max Comtois (53) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, second from left, is congratulated by teammates Kevin Labanc (62), Mario Ferraro (38) and Brent Burns (88) after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks right wing Carter Rowney (24) sends the puck down ice past San Jose Sharks defenseman Nicolas Meloche (53) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) reacts as he is tripped by Anaheim Ducks center Rickard Rakell during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) faces off against San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) can’t stop a goal by Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois as defenseman Brent Burns (88) defends against defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (28) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois (53) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. San Jose Sharks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks center Ryan Donato (16) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. San Jose won 3-2. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) moves the puck past Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (47) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. San Jose won 3-2. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
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San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) blocks a goal attempt by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (28) as defenseman Brent Burns (88) defends during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
The Ducks continued their meandering ways on Monday night at SAP Center in San Jose, wobbling this way and that, but with zero margin for error. Their inability to play with consistency from start to finish was evident again during a 3-2 loss to the Sharks.
The beginning was excellent, when they led 1-0 less than a minute into the game. The middle was sub-par, when they fell behind 3-1.The ending was sound, when they rallied smartly within one goal on Max Comtois’ team-leading seventh goal.
Forty minutes of sound hockey couldn’t cut it, though, even against a team like the Sharks that was injured and vulnerable. The Ducks needed a complete game in order to win, the kind of game they played in a victory over the West Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
It didn’t happen.
“At the end of the second period, we got away from things that were successful for us,” Ducks center Sam Steel said. “We pushed back and everything, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough. It’s just the little plays, burying the puck. We hit a few posts. Or making a simple 10-foot pass.
“That’s what we need to get better at. It just comes down to a little bit of execution.”
It wasn’t as if the Ducks didn’t have luck on their side. San Jose defenseman Mario Ferraro directed goals by Steel, his first of the season, and Comtois into his own net. It wasn’t as if the Ducks didn’t generate plenty of chances, either, because they did.
Rickard Rakell came within an inch or two of tying the score 3-3, not too long after Comtois’ pass intended for hard-charging defenseman Jani Hakanpaa struck a retreating Ferraro and slipped past goaltender Martin Jones only two minutes into the third period.
Rakell assisted on Comtois’ goal for his team co-leading sixth assist of the season. Rakell, Comtois and Isac Lundestrom had several chances to either pad the Ducks’ early lead or narrow their late deficit and were the Ducks’ most dangerous line Monday.
“We still had more chances,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of their third-period push. “We hit another post. It’s amazing that these pucks keep hitting posts, and they hit the post and they don’t go in the net, they hit the post and they continue on into the corner.”
Eakins praised Rakell, who has only one goal but hasn’t shown any outward frustration.
“I think he’s having fun with the game,” Eakins said. “You have to choose one way or another. It’s either, ‘I’m going to be really frustrated’ or ‘I’m going to keep playing and have some passion for it and have some fun.’ I thought Rakell was excellent tonight.”
John Gibson played in his 300th NHL game Monday, joining an exclusive goaltending club in Ducks history. J-S Giguere holds the franchise record for goalies (447), followed by Guy Hebert with 441 and Jonas Hiller with 326.
In addition, Gibson has the seventh-highest save percentage in NHL history (.918) among goalies to have played 300 games or more, joining Dominik Hasek, Tuukka Rask and Ken Dryden (.922), Ben Bishop (.921), Tim Thomas (.920) and Roberto Luongo (.919).
As ever, Gibson was the least of the Ducks’ worries on Monday, making 26 saves.
Eakins tweaked his lineup and the moves paid immediate dividends. Eakins returned Steel and Danton Heinen to the lineup after they were scratched for the Ducks’ 1-0 victory over the Golden Knights. David Backes and Max Jones were scratched Monday.
Steel benefited from a fortunate bounce to score his first goal of the season, only 50 seconds into the game. Steel tried to send a centering pass to a trailing teammate, but the puck ricocheted off the skate of Ferraro and past Jones for a 1-0 lead for the Ducks.
“It’s been a little bit of a grind, so it’s good to get a bounce,” Steel said of his first goal.
San Jose tied it 1-1 on John Leonard’s power play goal at 9:43 of the first period, a shot from the right wing that sailed past a well-screened Gibson. Whether the Sharks should have been on the power play was open to debate. The Ducks believed Comtois had cleared the puck off the glass.
The referees felt otherwise and Comtois took a seat in the penalty box for delay of game.
San Jose played without injured defensemen Erik Karlsson and Radim Simek, but the Ducks failed to take advantage after a strong start to the game. Kevin Labanc and Logan Couture scored in the second period to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
The Sharks outshot the Ducks 13-4 in the second and by 29-28 by game’s end. The Ducks’ wounds were self-inflicted in the period, and none more so than when Couture picked off Ryan Getzlaf’s poor clearing attempt and fired a shot that trickled between Gibson’s legs for a 3-1 lead for the Sharks.
Couture’s goal was his third in three games against the Ducks this season.
“We certainly played a solid first period,” Eakins said. “We had really good chances, and we needed to play like that in the second, especially in the middle part of it, where we got a little disconnected.”
“It takes a full 60 to win in this league.”
Sam Steel on tonight’s tight game#FlyTogether I @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/RoMnNxbd0j— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 16, 2021
Max Comtois already has SEVEN on the season. pic.twitter.com/znDjL7rYDt
— NHL (@NHL) February 16, 2021
Dallas Eakins disappointed with the lack of goals despite many goal scoring opportunities for the @AnaheimDucks #FlyTogether I @AlysonLozoff pic.twitter.com/eaQZeV7gfR
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 16, 2021
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