ANAHEIM (AP) — Ryan Garbutt, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell scored to send the Anaheim Ducks past the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots for Anaheim, which has climbed back into playoff contention with an 11-3-1 record since Christmas.
Tommy Wingels and Dainius Zubrus scored for San Jose, and Martin Jones made 24 saves. The Sharks’ streak of earning at least one point in 10 straight games ended, as did Joe Thornton’s run of 10 games in a row with a goal or an assist.
Just when it seemed as if Anaheim was in the throes of another second-period meltdown, the Ducks’ NHL-best penalty kill restored order. With Rakell sent to the box for tripping 17 seconds after Zubrus poked in a shot by Brent Burns that trickled through Andersen’s legs to tie the game at 1, Andrew Cogliano started an odd-man rush the other way.
Ryan Getzlaf was able to maintain possession and find Lindholm streaking into the zone. Lindholm unleashed a wrist shot past Jones for his first career short-handed goal and put Anaheim back in front.
Garbutt then scored his first goal with the Ducks by firing home Chris Stewart’s rebound, only to see Wingels plant a shot under the crossbar 1:05 later and cut San Jose’s deficit to 3-2.
The Sharks controlled long stretches of the third period but were unable to crack Andersen for a third goal. Cam Fowler was called for hooking with 2:07 remaining and Jones departed seconds later for a sixth attacker, but San Jose still could not come up with an equalizer.
Rakell gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead on a shot into the upper right corner of the net late in the first period. It was Rakell’s third goal in five games, but the celebration was briefly delayed as San Jose unsuccessfully challenged that Patrick Maroon was offside when he touched the puck to start the scoring sequence.
San Jose mostly controlled play in the first, forcing Andersen to make two key stops. His left leg was able to deny a good chance for Joel Ward from the top of the crease even as the backup goalie was falling face-first toward the ice, and his right leg later stopped Tomas Hertl’s wraparound.
Fowler returned to action for Anaheim after missing 13 games with a knee injury. While he played 20:09, third-most among Ducks defenders, Fowler was not exactly sharp and had a couple of turnovers that led to San Jose scoring chances.
NOTES: Anaheim’s Jan. 22 game at Washington that was postponed because of Winter Storm Jonas has been rescheduled for April 10. . San Jose scratched forward Mike Brown and D Matt Tennyson. . Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer, C Shawn Horcoff and forward Harry Zolnierczyk, who was recalled from the Ducks’ AHL affiliate earlier on Tuesday.