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Getzlaf, McDonald lead Ducks past Sharks

Nov 10, 2007 - 8:01 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Ryan Getzlaf and Andy McDonald provided all the offense the Anaheim Ducks needed.

Getzlaf and McDonald both scored in regulation before netting the only goals in the shootout as the Ducks skated past the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, on Friday.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 22 saves for Anaheim, which had lost two in a row and six of its last eight.

Getzlaf erased a 1-0 deficit midway through the second period, and McDonald tied the game at 2-2 less than six minutes into the third. After a scoreless overtime, the duo teamed to lead the Ducks to victory in the bonus format.

"It was a big game for us, and it's a building point for us right now," Getzlaf said. "That's obviously a good team over there. We battled tonight and found a way to get it done."

Anaheim's first shooter, Getzlaf fired a wrist shot just inside the right goalpost for a 1-0 advantage. Joe Pavelski bounced the puck off the left post on San Jose's first attempt and, after Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider was denied by goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, Giguere got his left arm on Jonathan Cheechoo's shot, setting the stage for McDonald.

On his backhand, McDonald slid the puck between the pads of Nabokov in the third round to clinch the victory.

"It feels good to win," McDonald said. "We've got a frustrated group in here. We're fighting for wins. To be able to come from behind like that tonight feels good. To be able to contribute like that feels good."

Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle appreciated McDonald's effort.

"That was a typical Andy McDonald goal," Carlyle said. "That's the kind of goal that he's capable of scoring, using his speed. It's good to see a goal scored by a player who has been down on his luck."

San Jose opened the scoring midway through the first period on Torrey Mitchell's first career goal.

Jeremy Roenick had the puck along the right wing boards and made a cross-ice pass to Mike Grier, who carried down the left side. From the bottom of the faceoff circle, Grier backhanded the puck to Mitchell, who redirected it between the right skate of Giguere and the left goalpost at 10:32, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Mitchell was subdued when talking about his initial NHL tally.

"I would rather have had the win," Mitchell said. "It doesn't really matter who scored. We did a lot of good things, but we're never happy when we lose hockey games. We've got to just keep working hard and get back to basics. Not get too fancy with the puck. Get the puck behind their defensemen."

The Ducks pulled even exactly 12 1/2 minutes into the second, when Getzlaf scooped up a loose puck in front and drove it past Nabokov. Schneider rifled a blast from the right point that ricocheted off the end boards and was recovered by Corey Perry, who took a shot from 10 feet out that was blocked before Getzlaf beat defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh to the puck.

San Jose pulled back ahead on a power-play goal by Joe Thornton with 44.9 seconds left in the second.

Thornton, who leads the Sharks with 17 points, received a pass from defenseman Craig Rivet high in the right circle and fired a wrist shot past Giguere. Milan Michalek was camped in front to screen the netminder.

McDonald forged a 2-2 tie less than six minutes into the third with his third goal of the season.

McDonald took a pass from Todd Marchant and skated past Cheechoo down the right wing. After cruising through the faceoff circle, McDonald beat Nabokov to the stick side with a wrister at 5:56.

"I think that Todd (Marchant) deflected the pass from Husky (defenseman Kent Huskins), and it may have gone off a defenseman to me," McDonald said. "It was a lucky bounce. I just noticed there was some room. I tried to jump in the hole as quickly as possible with the puck, and it worked out."

Nabokov stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped three of their last four games and five of seven.

"We lost a point," Nabokov said. "We just have to forget this one because we have to play tomorrow. When you lose a shootout, it's not easy."

San Jose coach Ron Wilson liked the way that some of his players battled but had issues with others.

"There was an intensity that was good for some of our younger people to experience - (Devin) Setoguchi, Mitchell, and a couple of guys on defense," Wilson said. "We had some guys that battled really hard. Roenick was a warrior tonight, but I can't say that about everybody."