Anaheim escaped the SAP Center with a 6-4 win over the Sharks Thursday night.
It had been 24 years since the Ducks had played in San Jose on leap day.
Before the two teams could even get going the Duck’s Cam Fowler would leave the game 21 seconds in with an upper body injury.
The Sharks got to work early with an Anthony Duclair slapshot giving San Jose a 1-0 lead just 2:47 into the game.
At 3:07 into the period Leo Carlsson’s first goal in 23 games would tie things up. Alex Killorn and Adam Henrique had the assists.
Soon after at 4:37 Brett Leason would take the puck the whole way up the ice while shorthanded to make things 2-1.
After finding themselves down early the Ducks found themselves heading to the locker room with a 2-1 lead after one period.
In the second period Alex Killorn would get his second point of the night with a goal. He used Leo Carlsson as a decoy entering the zone and put it through the five hole of San Jose goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. Henrique would get his second assist of the night and the Ducks would lead 3-1.
After killing a penalty in the first and another after the Killorn goal the Ducks found themselves on a six PK streak. Unfortunately they couldn’t kill a seventh in a row. Mike Hoffman would score, bringing things back to a one goal game.
Then at 15:40 another Ducks penalty would end with a goal for the Sharks. This time a wrist shot from William Eklund. Duclair added his second point with an assist.
However the Ducks would then go on their own power play and Frank Vatrano hammered home a one timer to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead with 2:27 left in the second.
Immediately after the Ducks got another power play and took advantage as Adam Henrique tipped in Jackson Lacombe’s shot giving the Ducks a 5-3 lead after two periods.
After getting their seventh penalty of the game the Ducks would allow another goal to Anthony Duclair making things 5-4 with 10:30 left in the final frame.
With 24 seconds left Isac Lundestom would put it away making the final 6-4. The Ducks will take the season series over their division rivals 3-1.
Not much rest will be had by the Ducks as they return home tonight to host the 30-25-4 Devils. New Jersey is just six points out of a wild card position in the East and are hungry for wins.
Puck drop for Devils at Ducks at 7:00 P.M. EST 10:00 P.M. PST on BSW, MSGSN and NHL Powerplay on ESPN+.
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