McTavish, Dostál shine in the shootout, send Ducks over hard-charging Sharks, 4-3

ANAHEIM, Calif. – An overtime strike from a former Duck in St. Louis brought the Anaheim Ducks to the brink of mathematical playoff elimination, but after a late collapse following a quick start, the Ducks staved off their official dismissal in the shootout tiebreaker on Tuesday at Honda Center.

San Jose erased a two-goal third-period deficit to force overtime, and after a scoreless extra session, a slow approach and quick finish by Mason McTavish paired with three denials by Lukáš Dostál to eventually one-up the Sharks, 4-3, in the shootout.

“It was a good start to the game, then kind of got away from our game in the second period,” McTavish said. “I thought in the third, (we) started to play a little bit better. It was a good enough effort to win the game, always a good sign.”

Trevor Zegras and Sam Colangelo each recorded a goal and an assist in the first period sandwiched around a Jackson LaCombe power play marker, the Ducks’ second extra-man tally in as many games. McTavish earned two assists and racked up a career-high 11 shots on goal.

Dostál made 28 saves in his third consecutive start, after the Ducks goaltending coaches decided to skip the rotation and give John Gibson one more day of rest. Dostál has played in a career high 44 games, up from last season’s previous high of 38 games.

“I think he's been great,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “He's a great athlete. He's in great shape. He can handle it. Fortunately, I think the previous two games, there wasn't a lot of shots directed at him. Tonight, what did they have 30, maybe? The second period he was under siege and he did a great job.”

Shakir Mukhamadullin scored in the first period, Marc-Edouard Vlassic tallied early in the third period, and Alexander Wennberg tied it up late for the Sharks. Alexander Georgiev made 35 saves.

“You get this thing called ‘Point Night,” Cronin said about the Ducks effort as San Jose clawed back. “I think some of our guys thought it was gonna be an eight-goal game, and we're not good enough to play that way. We lost our structure. They worked us, they out-executed us. I mean, they could have had four goals in the second period. 

“We got our game back in the third.”

San Jose’s 2024 No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini played his career first game against the Ducks and earned a first-period penalty and three shots in over 24 minutes of ice time.

Anaheim (33-33-8, 74 points) climbed back to 14 points out of the final wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference and back to the .500 mark for the second time in three games.

The Ducks have eight games remaining, and following an overtime-winner by former Duck Cam Fowler for the St. Louis Blues’ 10th straight win, their “Tragic Number” is two, meaning combination of two points lost by Anaheim or gained by the final wild card team–currently Minnesota, which was leapfrogged by the Blues–will result in their mathematical elimination from playoff contention.

“I don't think so,” Zegras on if the threat of mathematical elimination played into their starting effort. “You can't really control what all other teams are doing and whatnot. Just focus on what we're doing as the Anaheim Ducks, and I think the goal for the rest of the season is to finish with the winning record, and I think that's something that we're getting behind for sure. 

“Where we were at this point in the last couple of seasons is not where we want to be as a team and an organization. I think a winning record this season will go a long way into next year and the year's going forward.”

The Ducks next head north of the border with a two-game Canadian road trip starting in Calgary on Thursday.

Anaheim came out fast and furious against San Jose with two breakaways by Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish in the first two minutes. On the ensuing face-off after McTavish’s attempt was nearly shoved in, the Ducks struck.

McTavish won the draw back to Colangelo, whose snap shot was deflected out of midair by Zegras and through for the opening strike, 1-0.

“The best saying is ‘there's no pictures on the scorecard,’” Zegras said. “However they go in, I'll take it. When you're playing with guys like Mason and Sammy, a really good spot is to go to the net. I just feel pretty lucky that that one hit my stick.”

San Jose equalized three minutes later, when a point shot by Shakir Mukhamadullin leaked through Dostál’s five-hole, 1-1.

From there, Anaheim won the special teams battle in the first period and began to pull away early.

On the Ducks’ first power play, Jackson LaCombe’s point shot found a hole in Georgiev to put the Ducks back in front, 1-1. LaCombe’s 14th goal of the season is the most by a Ducks defenseman since Lubomir Vishnovsky netted 18 goals in 2010-11.

After snapping a five-game streak of 17 consecutive power plays without a goal on Sunday, Anaheim got power play goals in back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month. The Ducks finished 1-for-4 on the power play and have scored three power play goals on their last 33 attempts.

San Jose generated three shots on a five-on-three advantage two minutes later, but Dostál stretched out to deny the Sharks’ attempts.

In the final minute of the period, Colangelo went to the net front to get on the board himself.

McTavish whacked away at the rebound of a Radko Gudas point shot, and Colangelo cleaned up the garbage as the puck squirted out to the left side of the crease, 3-1.

Anaheim was extremely sloppy in the second period with their zone exits and zone entries, which allowed the Sharks to push the pace. San Jose outshot the Ducks, 15-4, in the period, but neither team broke through heading into the final frame.

Anaheim couldn’t break through on a four-on-three power play early in the third period, but the Sharks got within one on a delayed-penalty strike.

Collin Graf did a drive-by on Dostál, who went down with the contact but did not draw a call. Two Ducks players went over to Graf to retaliate for their goaltender, but Graf turned down the offers, play continued and the Sharks held possession on the delayed penalty. 

Vlasic sent one from the point by an aggrieved Dostál to tighten it up, 3-2, with just under 16 minutes remaining.

“My first reaction was gonna be a penalty,” Cronin said. “I couldn't see where he was in relationship to the crease, but he was hit near the crease, and then I asked the official what the ruling is on that. I mean, play’s already done. It's in the net. They're not gonna reverse it. So I said, what is the ruling? I said, is the goaltender allowed to be hit when he's got at least one foot in the crease, and his explanation was that they didn't see it that way.

“They saw that he was out of the crease, and the San Jose player struck him on his way above the crease.”

Anaheim got a huge chance with 1:37 of a five-on-three advantage midway through the period, and despite setting up McTavish on a one-timer again and again and again, the Ducks’ six shots did not drill a hole through Georgiev.

Cronin said he did not want to comment on that particular five-on-three strategy.

“I don’t really want to touch that,” Cronin said.

The Sharks penalty kill loomed large, as San Jose finally clawed back for the equalizer with just over three minutes to play.

Wennberg dropped to his knees to finish off the low-zone one-timer from William Eklund and beat Dostál post-to-post, 3-3.

In the overtime, Anaheim had the game on its stick several times, with a few rushes by Troy Terry and other attempts from Zegras and McTavish.

In the shootout, Zegras hit the post on his own slow-rolling attempt, and Leo Carlsson’ signature move was stymied by Georgiev before McTavish’s go-ahead strike.

Dostál made saves on Will Smith, Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli for the win.

Game Notes:

• Anaheim defenseman Jacob Trouba returned to the line-up after missing Sunday’s game due to a lower-body injury.

• Anaheim forward Brett Leason and defenseman Oliver Kylington were healthy scratches.

• Ducks forwards Ross Johnston (day-to-day, upper-body) and Robby Fabbri (injured reserve, hand) are unlikely to return this season, according to a team source.