Logan Couture’s shootout goal lifts Sharks past Ducks

ANAHEIM - Timo Meier forced overtime with a goal in the final minute of regulation and the Sharks on both their tries in the shootout to complete the comeback and get a 3-2 win over the Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday night.

With goalie Martin Jones pulled for an extra attacker, Meier positioned himself in front of the net and executed a perfect redirect play of Couture’s pass with 53.7 seconds left. Logan Couture would wrap up the win by scoring on Ducks goalie John Gibson after Joe Pavelski converted the Sharks’ opening attempt.

The Ducks (27-19-11) let a 2-0 third-period lead get away. Ondrej Kase and Cam Fowler got them that advantage and Gibson made 36 saves in regulation and overtime. But Adam Henrique and Rickard Rakell were unable to beat San Jose goalie Martin Jones, who had 25 stops.

Couture started the rally with a post-and-in wrist shot that beat Gibson on the far side with 9:04 left in regulation. With wins on consecutive nights, the Sharks (30-18-8) edged further into second place in the Pacific Division.

The Ducks continue to sit just outside the Western Conference playoff picture. Just one point gained left them one away from pulling into a virtual tie with Calgary and Minnesota, which currently hold spots.

Kase continues to provide secondary offense for the Ducks. His goal came only 2:39 into the game and he could thank Jones for being a bit leaky on his part.

Coming down the right wing on a rush with linemates Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie, Kase took a wrist shot that Jones saw all the way but appeared to be a bit handcuffed. It was enough for him to be unable to secure the puck and it trickled through him.

It became Kase’s 15th goal, with three of them coming within the last four games. The shifty winger had five during his 53-game rookie season a year ago.

The Ducks thought they had a two-goal lead as a reward for their hard work. Corey Perry, who’s been hot over the past week, got a pass from Ryan Getzlaf and ripped a slap shot past Jones on the stick side.

But the celebration didn’t last. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer made sure of that in immediately challenging the scoring play, picking up on the Ducks possibly unable to stay onside as they entered the offensive zone with the puck.

Sharp eyes caught Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler creeping in over the San Jose blue line just ahead of Getzlaf carrying the puck into the Sharks’ zone. The ensuing review also confirmed that and a goal that would have been Perry’s fourth in five games came off the scoreboard.

Having survived a number of Ducks chance and near misses in the first period, San Jose found its skating legs in the second.

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NOTES

Bieksa played in his 800th career game.

Sharks right winger Joel Ward (shoulder) missed his second consecutive game.

Ducks center Antoine Vermette was a healthy scratch for the second time in three games. Derek Grant replaced Vermette on the fourth line.