Sunday, March 6, 2022 08:00 PM (ET)

Rickard Rakell's breakaway goal in OT gives Ducks win

Field Level Media
Mar 6, 2022

Rickard Rakell scored on a controversial breakaway 14 seconds into overtime as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the visiting San Jose Sharks 3-2 Sunday night.

Adam Henrique and Sonny Milano also scored for the Ducks, who finished 3-3-0 on the six-game homestand, their longest of the season. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, starting in place of John Gibson after he suffered an apparent hand injury in practice Saturday, made 20 saves.

Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored for San Jose, which lost for the 11th time in its past 13 games (2-6-5). Zach Sawchenko, making his first NHL start after four relief appearances, stopped 33 shots.

Rakell jumped onto the ice and took a long lead pass from Troy Terry at the San Jose blue line. He skated in alone on Sawchenko and slipped a forehand shot between the rookie's pads. The Sharks argued Anaheim had too many players on the ice to no avail.

The loss stung even more for San Jose as Jacob Middleton appeared to score the apparent go-ahead, short-handed goal at 12:57 of the third but Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins challenged the play and a video review determined Middleton was offside.

Couture opened the scoring at 7:47 of the first period. He got control of the puck along the boards just outside his own blue line, shrugged off a check from Jamie Drysdale at center ice and skated down the left wing on a two-on-one break before sliding the puck under Stolarz's pads.

The Ducks tied it at 1:41 of the second on a three-on-two break. Terry skated down the center of the ice and fed Max Comtois on the right wing. Sawchenko stopped Comtois' shot but the rebound deflected off Henrique's shin and into the net.

The Sharks regained the lead on Vlasic's first of the season at 2:57. Vlasic's shot from the right point went off the skate of Anaheim's Kevin Shattenkirk and past Stolarz.

The Ducks tied the score at 2-2 at 19:39 of the second as Milano picked up a loose puck in the low slot following a scrum in front of the net and lifted a shot over the prone Sawchenko.

The Sharks, coming off an 8-0 loss to Nashville at home Saturday, tried to set the tone early as Jeffrey Viel dropped the gloves with Anaheim's Sam Carrick just three seconds into the game.

--Field Level Media

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