• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Sharks take down Ducks

Mar 26, 2013 - 5:32 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Martin Havlat, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns each recorded a goal and an assist as the San Jose Sharks escaped Honda Center with a 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks in the opener of a home-and-home series.

James Sheppard was credited with the game-winner, while Dan Boyle sealed the Sharks' third win in their past 10 games with an empty-netter.

Antti Niemi made 24 games against the Pacific Division leaders, while Viktor Fasth was beaten four times on 38 shots against to take the loss.

Francois Beauchemin, Emerson Etem and Corey Perry each scored in a losing effort.

The Ducks were 13-1 at home before losing the final three on their five-game homestand, the previous two both coming against Detroit.

"We didn't play very well," Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Some things we have to address."

The Sharks scored twice in a 1:24 span in the first period, the first coming after Joe Thornton hustled down the ice to prevent icing. Thornton's pass from behind the net found Havlat in the other corner, and Havlat fed Burns in the left circle for the initial tally at the 5:46 mark.

Pavelski quickly cashed in on a Ducks turnover deep in their zone with his eighth goal of the season, and Havlat extended San Jose's lead 34 seconds into the middle period when he put in a long rebound off Matt Irwin's point shot.

"We wanted to start big and we did," Thornton said.

Etem got the Ducks on the board 8:16 into the second as his centering pass went off the glove of Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart and past Niemi.

Beauchemin's wrister into the top left corner 58 seconds into the third period had the Ducks closing in on their 15th come-from-behind win of the year, and when Logan Couture had a goal waived off because of a high stick the signs were pointing that way.

But Sheppard's sharp-angle shot from the left boards found its way past an unsuspecting and partially-screened Fasth with 9:56 remaining, and the two- goal cushion proved vital after Perry found the back of the net with 1:40 on the clock.

Boyle's long shot into the empty net with 28 seconds left capped the scoring.

Game Notes

San Jose hosts the Ducks on Wednesday in the rubber match in the five-game season series ... This is the first time all season the Ducks have lost three in a row ... The Sharks were without forward Ryane Clowe for a fourth straight game due to a shoulder injury.