Final
Ducks look to gain ground on Sharks
Mar 28, 2008 - 2:05 PM San Jose (45-21-10) at Anaheim (44-26-8) 10:00 pm EDTANAHEIM, California (Ticker) - The defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks have accomplished their goal of returning to postseason. A second straight Pacific Division title seems unlikely though.
The Ducks look to gain ground when they host the division-leading San Jose Sharks on Friday. San Jose, seeking its third division title, has a six-point edge over Anaheim.
Rookie goaltender Jonas Hiller stopped 31 shots, while defenseman Mathieu Schneider and Teemu Selanne tallied in the shootout as the Ducks clinched a postseason berth with a 2-1 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Hiller is filling in for Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who has missed the last three games with back spasms.
The win assured Anaheim's return to the playoffs, something the 2005-06 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes could not accomplish.
"One of the goals that we set at the beginning of the year, obviously, is to make the playoffs," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "Historically, that's been a challenge for teams that have had success the year before to come back.
"Now we're in a position to improve for home-ice advantage. We just want to get our game to the level where we feel we can be competitive against the best teams."
San Jose certainly falls in the category of one of the best teams in the league, and is the main reason the Ducks are unlikely to repeat as Pacific Division champions.
The Sharks, who have earned a point in 17 straight games (15-0-2), clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas on Thursday.
Coming off a hat trick in his previous game, All-Star Joe Thornton scored twice - including the game-winner with 2:02 left in the extra session.
Thornton and Jeremy Roenick tallied in a 2-1 win over the Ducks in the last meeting in San Jose on Saturday. It was the Sharks second win over Anaheim in seven meetings this season (1-5-1).
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 1 2 0 3
ANAHEIM 1 0 0 1 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - PATRICK MARLEAU 17 (JOE PAVELSKI, CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF)
6:38
ANA - (PP) SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 8 (MATHIEU SCHNEIDER, BOBBY
RYAN) 11:09
2ND PRD: SAN - (PP) JEREMY ROENICK 14 (JOE PAVELSKI, BRIAN CAMPBELL)
11:10
SAN -
Mar 29 12:26 AM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 1 2 3
ANAHEIM 1 0 1 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - PATRICK MARLEAU 17 (JOE PAVELSKI, CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF)
6:38
ANA - (PP) SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 8 (MATHIEU SCHNEIDER, BOBBY
RYAN) 11:09
2ND PRD: SAN - (PP) JEREMY ROENICK 14 (JOE PAVELSKI, BRIAN CAMPBELL)
Mar 28 11:38 PM - NHL
SAN JOSE 3
ANAHEIM 1
2ND PRD: SAN - CURTIS BROWN 3 (JOE PAVELSKI) 17:06
Sharks 3, Ducks 1 2nd - 2:54Mar 28 11:36 PM - NHL
SAN JOSE 2
ANAHEIM 1
2ND PRD: SAN - (PP) JEREMY ROENICK 14 (JOE PAVELSKI, BRIAN CAMPBELL)
11:10
Sharks 2, Ducks 1 2nd - 8:50Mar 28 11:21 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN JOSE 1 1
ANAHEIM 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: SAN - PATRICK MARLEAU 17 (JOE PAVELSKI, CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF)
6:38
ANA - (PP) SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 8 (MATHIEU SCHNEIDER, BOBBY
RYAN) 11:09
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
SAN
Mar 28 10:44 PM - NHL
SAN JOSE 1
ANAHEIM 1
1ST PRD: ANA - (PP) SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 8 (MATHIEU SCHNEIDER, BOBBY
RYAN) 11:09
Sharks 1, Ducks 1 1st - 8:51Mar 28 10:32 PM - NHL
SAN JOSE 1
ANAHEIM 0
1ST PRD: SAN - PATRICK MARLEAU 17 (JOE PAVELSKI, CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF)
6:38
Sharks 1, Ducks 0 1st - 13:22Mar 28 10:24 PM
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