Getzlaf helps Ducks top Sharks 3-2
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The slumping Anaheim Ducks may have started to feel that any close call wouldn't go their way.
On Saturday, one in their favor figured prominently in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.
Trailing 2-1 midway through the second, the Ducks tied the game on a disputed play.
Ryan Garbutt had a breakaway and appeared to be in the act of shooting when he was shoved from behind by Sharks defenseman Brent Burns. The puck trickled past the goal line as Garbutt collided with Jones, taking out the net.
Garbutt's second goal of the season was upheld after Sharks coach Peter DeBoer's challenge. The NHL explained the decision on its website, saying "the actions of San Jose's Brent Burns caused Garbutt to contact Jones before the puck crossed the goal line."
"We've had numerous things go against in that type of situation, but they obviously ruled that Garbutt was pushed by Burns and if you look at it, he did push him and the puck did enter the net," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.
"I don't know what our player's supposed to do in that situation."
The goal gave a Ducks team that was riding a three-game losing streak the emotional lift it desperately needed.
"Obviously it gave us some life," Carlyle said.
DeBoer had a different take on Garbutt's goal.
"I still think you have to make some intent to try to stop and avoid the collision," DeBoer said. "I didn't see that, but they obviously saw something I didn't."
Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell also scored for Anaheim, and Jonathan Bernier had 21 saves.
Getlaf gave the Ducks the lead for good at 12:59 of the second. With Justin Braun in the box for elbowing Corey Perry, Getlaf beat Martin Jones for just his second goal of the season.
Getzlaf's goal came against one of the league's best penalty killing units. The Sharks had killed off 42 of their previous 46 power plays heading into Saturday's game.
"We put a lot of pressure in their zone and in the neutral zone," Bernier said. "They didn't have enough energy to come and have some rush because they had to change, they were stuck in their zone for a while and we kept doing the same thing over and over."
Logan Couture and Dylan DeMelo scored for San Jose, which had won three in a row. Jones had 23 saves.
But the Sharks couldn't get much going the rest of the way. They had just five shots on goal in the third period.
"We had some chances," Couture said. "They shut it down pretty good. We didn't really sustain much pressure until the very end there. We had some shifts in their end. Would have liked to generate a couple more shots."
Getzlaf's goal came against one of the league's best penalty-killing units. The Sharks had killed off 42 of their previous 46 power plays heading into Saturday's game.
Couture scored the first goal on a power play 8:40 into the game.
"Felt like we were wrestling around in front of the net the whole night, both ways," Pavelski said. "It was a hard fought game. Didn't necessarily feel like we were on the outside, it was pretty even.
"We wanted to get that one and we thought we had it coming, felt confident that we were going to tie it up but we ran out of time."
NOTES: San Jose F Tommy Wingels was sidelined by a lower-body injury, and DeBoer said he is day to day. Wingels left Friday's game against the Islanders in the first period. ... Sharks F Melker Karlsson, out since Nov. 12 with an ankle injury, was placed on injured reserve. ... San Jose D Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the third period with an unspecified injury.