SAN JOSE — All seemed right in the Ducks’ world when they dropped the puck Monday night after a nine-day layoff for the bye week and the All-Star break. They had looked sharp during their morning skate at SAP Center, just as they had when they practiced one day earlier at Great Park Ice.
It all went haywire in a matter of minutes once they resumed play, though. The San Jose Sharks built a two-goal lead in the opening minutes of the first period, weathered an all-too-brief Ducks surge midway through the second and then secured a 4-2 victory early in the third.
This was not what Coach Dallas Eakins or any of the Ducks had in mind after feel-good victories over the Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes heading into the break. Momentum can be a tricky thing, as Eakins acknowledged, but it was nowhere to be found Monday for the Ducks.
There would be no three-game winning streak.
“We can’t give up that many chances in a game,” Eakins said. “(Sunday), in practice, we were breaking the puck out. (Monday morning), in practice, we were breaking the puck out. We were getting as many touches as we could. But our execution coming out of our zone was terrible (Monday night).
“I haven’t looked at it (on video) yet, but I think if I go through all of their shots, I bet you 65 to 70 percent of their shots came off us having the puck and giving it to them out of bad execution. That’s obviously something we’ll be addressing tomorrow.”
Patrick Marleau and former Ducks prospect Stefan Noesen each scored twice for the Sharks, who dictated the terms of the game from the opening minutes. Ondrej Kase (short-handed) and Nick Ritchie (power play) scored for the Ducks, and John Gibson made 27 saves.
If not for Gibson, the Ducks might have faced a larger deficit in the first period. He made several excellent saves to keep them within striking distance, giving them a chance after Kase’s goal pulled them within 2-1 at 9:04 of the second period.
“He was our best player,” Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said of Gibson. “We left him out to dry a couple of times. You’ve come to expect that (standout play) with ‘Gibby’ because he’s a world-class goaltender, but we’ve got to do a better job in front of him.”
The Ducks played without Jakob Silfverberg, who remained behind to be with his wife, Clara, who delivered a baby girl named Flora earlier in the day. Mother and daughter were said to be resting comfortably. The father was expected to rejoin the Ducks later this week.
Silfverberg has been sidelined for five games this season and the Ducks have lost all five.
Ritchie returned to the Ducks’ lineup after sitting out for 19 games because of a sprained knee suffered during a Dec. 6 game against the Washington Capitals. Troy Terry also rejoined the Ducks’ lineup after he fractured his leg Dec. 17 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Terry got a head start on his comeback by playing seven games during a conditioning loan to the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ AHL team. Ritchie jumped back into the lineup cold and he said it took more than a few shifts before he began to feel comfortable again.
“I felt OK as far as the leg and everything, but obviously there was a lot of rust,” said Ritchie, who scored on his only credited shot on goal in 17:53 of ice time. “I had some decent shifts and kind of got into it a little bit, and I think nothing but better from now on.”
Nick Ritchie speaks on the @AnaheimDucks loss and his goal in his return from injury.#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/pusRbnt3KS
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 28, 2020
That combo of speed and finish, though.
Some beautiful shorthanded work from @ondrej_kase here. pic.twitter.com/MTFZsAeygT
— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2020
What a wrister from Ritchie! @AnaheimDucks trail by two!#LetsGODucks pic.twitter.com/Gd0jr5nYYx
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 28, 2020
Happy Birthday, Flora
Jakob and Clara Silfverberg welcome their second child into the world today! Congrats @jsilfverberg33!@AnaheimDucks | #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/4oGkPhDktE
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 28, 2020
Jakob and Clara Silfverberg welcome their second child into the world today! Congrats