ANAHEIM — The Ducks had most of their potent forwards in uniform and a heavy shot advantage on Thursday night, but they still ended up losing, 3-2 in overtime, to the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center.
Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson each scored a goal for the hosts, and Lukáš Dostál and Calle Clang combined to make 16 saves. In addition to their goal-scorers, the Ducks also inserted Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Cutter Gauthier and Alex Killorn into their lineup.
Tristen Robins tallied for San Jose in the second period, Klim Kostin tied the score late and Luca Cagnoni won the game in overtime. Georgi Romanov went the distance in goal, stopping 32 shots.
Though the result was less than optimal, the Ducks’ players and Coach Greg Cronin were all enthused by the volume of shots and traffic they got to the San Jose net.
“It’s a mindset we have to have, and we’ve got to do it. Everybody can do it,” Cronin said.
At the 2:08 mark of overtime, Ethan Cardwell picked up his second assist of the contest and Kostin earned his second point as they set up Cagnoni’s game-winning snap shot. It came after a chaotic sequence that yanked Clang out of his crease and left defenseman Tristan Luneau to protect the middle of the net unsuccessfully.
The match reached the extra session because San Jose made good on its fourth power-play opportunity of the night (the Ducks were 1 for 5). The Sharks equalized off a tic-tac-toe play between Kasper Halttunen, Danil Gushchin (who also assisted on their first goal) and Kostin, which the former Edmonton Oiler finished from close range with 2:41 left in the third period.
Early in the third, the Ducks got a penalty kill and then drew an infraction when McTavish was hooked by Quentin Musty. The ensuing power play gave them their second edge of the evening.
Terry moved the puck high for Jackson LaCombe, who found Carlsson just above the inside of the left faceoff circle. He glided forward and hammered a shot past Romanov with 14:39 to play.
The Ducks brought in Rich Clune to run their power play this season after not renewing the contract of his predecessor, Newell Brown, who went to the Kings.
“(Clune) does a great job of giving us a plan, nothing too crazy, and just lets our instincts kind of take over,” McTavish said.
At 2:31 of the second period, San Jose drew even when Cardwell controlled the puck in the corner and whipped it to Gushchin, who slid the puck across to Robins for a goal that was all but uncontested.
A similar play later in the frame with a turnover below the goal line and a shot from the slot was foiled when Dostál ensnared forward William Eklund’s shot.
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The Ducks had their own nifty exchange, off the rush between Carlsson and Gauthier, thwarted by Romanov. He was sharp throughout an evening in which his team was out-shot handily. Carlsson and Gauthier first played together in Gauthier’s debut in April’s final game of last season, but have been connected on the power play and at even strength early in this preseason.
“It feels natural. It feels like we’ve played at least 20 games together,” Carlsson said.
Most measures were even in the first period, but the Ducks broke through with the game’s first goal with 18 seconds left.
The play was set up by a three-zone, give-and-go play between Luneau and McTavish. When Luneau received the puck anew, his backhanded cross-ice pass for Zegras pulled him too wide for a shot, so Zegras curled and flicked the puck into the slot for McTavish’s redirection goal.
“(McTavish) is strong, he’s confident, he’s excited and I think he wants to build off his year last year, his points per game were at a career high,” Cronin said. “I think he’s got a number in his head. He’s a goal-scorer, he’s got a heck of a shot and his goal was also a great play by Trevor.”