Ducks v Sharks Game 2 RECAP: Everything Is Awful

The Ducks took the lead early and came out hitting but dropped Game 2 at home to put themselves at a supreme disadvantage heading north. Once again silly penalties cost them as well as a somewhat shakey start by the entire team defensively but positives include John Gibson looking unstoppable after the midway point of the 2nd and the Ducks ability to keep possesion in the Sharks zone for long stretches.

1st Period:

The Kesler line started against the Pavelski line and came out hitting. Then a turnover in the neutral zone and Silfverberg came into the offensive zone to dump the puck but his shot fools Jones and its 1-0 Ducks 40 seconds in.

Kase followed up with a good chance on the shift right after. Then the Sharks kept the Getzlaf line hemmed in their zone generating several dangerous scoring chances.

Play calmed down a tad for the next 5 minutes until Hampus Lindholm leveled Evander Kane as he was coming into the Ducks zone. Not sure on the timing of that - it could have been interference but no call was made. Either way - soon after Francois Beauchemin caught rookie Kevin Labanc with his head down and play was whistled dead as the Sharks player lay prone near the boards. Nick Ritchie of course; then made sure to check another Sharks player on top of him. Things continued to heat up until Silfverberg and Kane were given matching roughing minors.

Halfway through the first and the Sharks point men are being given way too much time and space; one such point shot goes wide left and bounces right to Marcus Sorensen who gets the easy put in, Gibson could not see the point shot and thus could not track where it resulted.

The response from Anaheim on the next shift created several scoring chances as both the Getzlaf and Henrique lines kept the Sharks in their zone. Kase is quite obviously tripped and does not get a call; but Brandon Montour had needlessly cross checked Kane in front of the Ducks earlier in the game so perhaps an even-up there. Then Brandon Montour is called for a very light grab and the Sharks score on the resulting power play when Logan Couture got open coming into the zone and took a cross ice pass that slid through Lindholm where he toe dragged the swimming Gibby for the Sharks lead.

Anaheim generated a few more scoring chances including Adam Henrique standing alone in front of the net but he was in too tight and unable to get a shot by Jones.

The period ended with the Sharks outshooting the Ducks 9-8 and the Ducks leading high danger scoring chances 4 to 2.

2nd Period:

Less than two minutes in and Thomas Hertl makes some casual moves into the Ducks zone and then beats Gibson on the backhand. Gibby hasn't looked good thus far but the defense was out to lunch on that one too.

7 minutes in and a turn over in the Ducks zone leads to a high danger chance for the Sharks, the shot goes through Gibson but wide. Then seconds later the Sharks take a slashing penalty when attempting to hold the zone.

The first minute of the power play is kind of a joke but then as the 2nd unit comes on Silfverberg and Kesler use the body to keep the puck alive down low and Getzlaf feeds a wide open Lindholm coming down the slot who makes no mistake in drilling a wrist shot high glove side.

Anaheim kept things going and Perry was oh so very close to tying the game when Brandon Montour made some beautiful moves to knife down the slot, taking on 2 sharks and feeding Perry to the right side who then faked out Jones but then hit the post.

The Kesler line kept play up and looked like the best line for the Ducks all game; again coming very close in the dying seconds but Kesler could not get free from his check to get a shot off from right in front.

Gibson redeemed himself with some HUGE stops that he likely had no business making to keep it a single goal game as the Ducks headed to the locker room down by 1.

3rd Period:

Three minutes in and another bad turnover with the 4th line on, Eric Fehr had a chance from the right hash marks but Gibby made the save.

The newly formed Getzlaf line with Kase gets another few point black chances but then Kase undoes all his hard work with a very weak behind the back pass to nobody and the Sharks rush the other way. An Evander Kane tip creates havoc and Gibson is forced to make an impossible blocker save that needs to be seen to be believed.

Then Evander Kane takes a delay of game penalty and the Ducks go on their 2nd man advantage of the game. The first unit looked much better and immediately upon gaining the zone went to work, making swift crisp passes. Only an errant pass by Rakell allowed the pressure to ease, then mid unit change a hybrid 1st and 2nd unit got another massive chance with Kesler unable to get a shot away on a rebound right in front before he was unceremoniously upended.

A minute later Nick Ritchie takes an incredibly stupid tripping penalty (shoutout to that blatant one missed on Kase earlier in the game) and the Sharks go back on the power play.

The Penalty Killers spent almost the entire 2 minutes trapped with only Gibson making some huge stops allowing the kill to happen and then as the penalty expired Brandon Montour and Adam Henrique had a 2 on 1 that Montour shot high and wide on.

Under 6 minutes left, Rakell has been very very quiet. I wonder if the chemistry with Kase isn't quite there.

Four minutes left and Corey Perry comes in to clear out a scrum along the boards, not entirely sure what he was thinking but I guess he thought Karlsson had a stick on the puck because he completely wipes him out. He is given a penalty for interference. #PerryIsStupidSometimes

The Sharks play conservative on the ensuing man advantage, holding the Ducks zone and playing keep away with minimal shots on net.

Under a minute remaining and the Ducks get the Sharks zone with the extra attacker. They come close but Perry cannot get a good shooting angle with the mass of Sharks bodies in front of Jones. Timeout Anaheim with 43 seconds left.

The next face-off is won by the Sharks but as the Ducks regain possession they again cannot get a good chance on net and the Sharks ice it with less than a second remaining.

Sharks win. Ducks in a 2-0 hole heading north to San Jose. Everything is awful.