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Packard's late goal leads Sharks past Ducks

Sep 20, 2007 - 6:14 AM By Joel Bergman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks went through the motions at half-speed before Dennis Packard decided he had had enough.

Packard scored with 4:52 remaining in the third period and Thomas Greiss made 19 saves as the Sharks posted a 1-0 preseason victory over the Ducks on Wednesday.

The game was the lowest-scoring preseason contest played by Anaheim since its 1-0 loss to Phoenix on September 22, 1999.

With the game scoreless in the latter stages of the third, Patrick Rissmiller was stopped by goaltender Jonas Hiller from the slot. Packard scooped up the rebound just inside the right faceoff circle and put the puck between Hiller's pads for the game's only tally.

The Ducks had two good scoring opportunities in a lethargic and sloppy first period. At 5:15, Todd Bertuzzi was stopped by Greiss at the edge of the goal crease.

With about five minutes to go in the session, Greiss stretched out to his right and poked the puck off Todd Marchant's stick before a shot could be taken.

Teams were not clicking much better in the middle session, as both teams again seemed sluggish. Greiss stopped a good scoring chance seven minutes in, as Rob Niedermayer deflected a pass into the netminder's pads.

Bertuzzi had the Ducks' best scoring chance of the second period at 15:10, when he deflected a pass from the right corner off the glove of Greiss. Bertuzzi made his presence known throughout the contest as he often created traffic just outside the Sharks' crease.

The pace picked up in the third period. Anaheim nearly broke the scoreless tie at 5:25, as Chris Kunitz took a wrist shot from the right circle that went just wide of the left goalpost during a power play.

Corey Perry also was stopped on a breakaway as Greiss went down with his left pad to keep the game scoreless.

Hiller stopped 20 shots for the Ducks.