The Ducks had won 13 of their past 16 meetings with the Sharks, including the first one this season. But they slipped for the seventh time in nine games overall, while falling out of first place in the Pacific Division.
Troy Terry scored twice for the Ducks and set up a goal for Cutter Gauthier, who assisted on a goal by Pavel Mintyukov. Lukáš Dostál made just five of nine saves, largely a victim of circumstance, before being replaced by Petr Mrázek. The Ducks were without captain Radko Gudas (illness), enforcer Ross Johnston (illness) and winger Frank Vatrano (shoulder).
Macklin Celebrini had a goal in addition to setting up scores by Igor Chernyshov and William Eklund for the Sharks, who won their second straight decision after a three-game slide. Alex Wennberg picked up two primary assists, on Celebrini’s goal and another by Mario Ferraro. Zack Ostapchuk tacked on a late tally that became the game-winner. Yaroslav Askarov had 38 saves in a game in which his squad was out-shot by a 42-13 margin.
The two teams that produced a baker’s dozen of goals between them in the first meeting this season, a 7-6 overtime win for the Ducks, burst forth with three more in the first period. The Ducks wedged a goal between a pair of similar ones from San Jose in the opening frame.
Nikita Nesterenko checked in for his first game since Nov. 30 and earned his first point since Nov. 19. He pressured a reluctant Askarov behind the net, creating a turnover and a gimme goal for Terry, his 11th and first in seven games.
That tied the score at the 15:02 mark but San Jose led at the intermission off goals at 10:43 and 19:12.
First, a defensive-zone pinch by Jackson LaCombe didn’t prevent a stretch pass for Wennberg. The only defender back, Drew Helleson overpursued Wennberg – who later drew a penalty on Helleson – allowing him to slide a centering pass across to a wide-open Ferraro. It was the defender’s 100th career point and his first goal since these sides met on Oct. 11.
Sneaking in an extra shift, Celebrini reclaimed the lead for San Jose. Though they lost the offensive-zone faceoff, the Sharks regrouped in the neutral zone. Celebrini blew past Jacob Trouba and launched a cross-body one-timer off a saucer pass from Wennberg.
The Sharks scored four times before reaching double-digit shots for the game. They converted on their only two strikes on net in the second period, at 6:30 and 12:17, until a buzzer-beating bid by Barclay Goodrow was denied by Mrázek.
First, Beckett Sennecke’s defensive-zone turnover allowed Celebrini to find a wide open Chernyshov in front, where he waited out Dostál and lifted a backhand shot.
Celebrini later stripped Helleson near the goal line and sent the puck to Eklund for a short-side snipe, prompting a goalie change. Celebrini’s 60 points signify that he has contributed to more than half of San Jose’s 119 total goals. He reached the 60-point plateau faster than any teenager not named Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby.
The Ducks clawed back a goal in a game in which the shot count favored them 26-10 through 40 minutes. Terry spun off Celebrini and let fly with a shot attempt from the top of the left circle that Gauthier deflected past Askarov for his team-leading 19th goal of the campaign.
Mintyukov brought the Ducks within a goal, 3:07 into the third period. Gauthier led the rush and centered the puck for the trailing Mintyukov, who struck from between the hashmarks.
Last season, he scored five goals in 68 games. This year, he already has five in half as many total appearances, with all five coming in his past 14 games.
A puck deflected off the skate of San Jose’s Sam Dickinson and nailed Celebrini in the mouth, removing him from about nine minutes of the stretch run before he returned to the ice.
The Sharks didn’t register a shot for more than 12 minutes of the third period, but they sealed the Ducks’ fate with Ostapchuk’s first goal of the season off his tip of Vincent Iorio’s point shot.
With over four minutes left, the Ducks pulled their goalie and halved their deficit. LaCombe’s point shot hit Mason McTavish, who swept a backhand pass to Terry for a no-doubt goal, his 12th of 2025-26.
Even with a power play that was spent primarily six-on-four, the Ducks could not come up with an equalizer, losing a game in which they controlled nearly every barometer except the score and save percentage.
More to come on this story.
*This report was compiled remotely.
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