San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (R) celebrates with center Logan Couture his goal scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center in Anaheim.PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports
The biggest thing for the Sharks was the win. Engaged from start to finish, San Jose played its best 60 minutes of the season in beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Sunday night to end a four-game losing streak.
As an added bonus, maybe the Sharks got closer as a team and forged an identity for themselves in the early stages of the season.
For now, it just felt good for the Sharks to atone for Saturday’s disheartening 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and beat arguably the best team in the National Hockey League.
“We needed a win any way we can get it,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.
“The fact that it comes against a rival that might be the best team in the league right now, we’ll take that. It’s one day, I’m proud of the way the group responded. We didn’t have an easy day today, by any means.”
For San Jose, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tommy Wingels all scored, and Wingels, Pavelski and James Sheppard were among the Sharks who fought. Even rookie defenseman Mirco Mueller almost came to blows with Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf.
The third period by itself featured 127 penalty minutes, including five fighting majors, eight 10-minute misconducts and a game-misconduct to John Scott, who was whistled for coming off the bench during a fight. Wingels scored 8:20 left in the third period to give the Sharks a 4-0 lead. Soon after, things turned decidedly nasty as 111 minutes in penalties were handed out in the final 7:02.
Corey Perry and Justin Braun were each given 10-minute misconducts at that time. Shortly after that, a near line-brawl brawl broke out in the Ducks’ defensive zone to the left of Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen, who was pulling Sharks players off the pile.
San Jose’s John Scott was called leaving the bench to engage with Anaheim’s Tim Jackman -- something that almost assuredly would result in a suspension if upheld by the NHL -- but McLellan was adamant that Scott was already on the ice when the melee began. Scott still wound up receiving 17 minutes of penalties.