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Sharks, Ducks meet for Pacific clash in San Jose

Apr 2, 2011 - 4:06 PM (Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks are going to the playoffs for a seventh straight season. The Anaheim Ducks want to join them.

The Ducks will look to further their postseason chances this evening as they visit the Pacific Division-leading Sharks and HP Pavilion.

Anaheim comes into this game seventh overall in the Western Conference, one point back of Nashville and just one up on eighth-place Chicago. They have a game in hand over the Predators, while both the Ducks and Blackhawks have five games remaining.

Anaheim has won three straight and is 12-3-0 in its last 15 games following Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Calgary. Corey Perry scored twice to up his NHL- leading goal total to a career-best 46 tallies, while Ray Emery made 23 saves to improve to 6-0-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average with the Ducks.

Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky added a goal and an assist, with his 16 goals matching a club single-season record for a defenseman set by Fredrik Olausson in 1998-99.

"We're looking game by game. You never know what can happen. We're not looking ahead," Perry said of Anaheim's playoff hopes. "We're pushing forward."

The Ducks are a solid 20-16-3 on the road this year thanks to an 11-3-0 record over their last 14 as the guest.

The Sharks, meanwhile, secured a playoff spot with Thursday's 6-0 win over the Stars. Patrick Marleau scored twice and Antti Niemi made 29 saves for his sixth shutout of the season and 13th of his career.

With 99 points, the Sharks are one ahead of the Red Wings for the second seed in the Western Conference with five games to play. San Jose is three points ahead of idle Phoenix for the division lead and the Sharks have two games in hand over the Coyotes.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Dan Boyle, Logan Couture and Ben Eager also lit the lamp for the Sharks, who are 6-0-1 in their last seven and have won 24 of 32 since they sat in last in the division on Jan. 13.

"I want us to keep going so when the [playoffs] do start we're on top of our game," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said.

The Ducks and Sharks have split four meetings so far this year, though San Jose has still won eight of the last 11. Anaheim did snap a four-game skid at HP Pavilion with a win back on Nov. 9, but has lost seven of its last nine trips there.

Niemi is 2-2-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average lifetime versus the Ducks, while Emery was tagged for six goals on 29 shots in a loss the only other time he faced the Sharks.