Ducks find even mild momentum elusive with lopsided loss to Sharks
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier, left, and Ducks right wing Troy Terry go after the puck during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, left, and Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler battle for the puck during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Alexander Barabanov, right, moves the puck as Ducks left wing Max Jones defends during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Jonah Gadjovich, left, watches as Ducks goaltender John Gibson deflects a shot during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin, left, reaches in as Ducks defenseman Dmitry Kulikov takes the puck during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Evgeny Svechnikov falls as he goes after the puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Jonah Gadjovich, right, falls as he battles with Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture (39) and Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg (3) battle for the puck during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Brett Leason, right, falls while under pressure from San Jose Sharks left wing Evgeny Svechnikov during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning takes a stick to the face from Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. Shattenkirk received a two-minute penalty on the play. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks left wing Max Jones, right, passes the puck while under pressure from San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Nico Sturm celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, left, falls during a face-off as Ducks center Jayson Megna takes the puck during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks goaltender Eetu Makiniemi, right, stops a shot as Ducks right wing Troy Terry watches during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, center, passes the puck while under pressure from San Jose Sharks center Nick Bonino during the second period on Friday night at Honda Center. The Sharks won, 6-1. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Jonah Gadjovich, right, and Ducks center Sam Carrick, center, fight during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Jonah Gadjovich, left, and Ducks center Sam Carrick fight during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Steven Lorentz, left, scores on Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Steven Lorentz, right, is congratulated by left wing Evgeny Svechnikov after scoring during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Steven Lorentz, right, is congratulated by left wing Alexander Barabanov, left, and left wing Evgeny Svechnikov after scoring during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks left wing Evgeny Svechnikov, left, and Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen battle for the puck during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Jose Sharks center Nick Bonino falls as he passes the puck while under pressure from Ducks center Ryan Strome, right, during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg, left, and center Jayson Megna, center, battle for the puck with San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Jayson Megna, left, and his brother, San Jose Sharks defenseman Jaycob Megna, pass each other during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Jayson Megna, left, and his brother, San Jose Sharks defenseman Jaycob Megna, pass each other during the third period on Friday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
That, essentially, is one way to summarize the state of the Ducks after 28 games. They’ve only managed to win consecutive games once this season, though they were coming off an inspiring victory in overtime against Carolina.
But Friday night did not yield their second set of back-to-back wins. Instead, they skated off with their seventh loss in eight games, a 6-1 defeat to the visiting San Jose Sharks and their rookie goaltender Eetu Makiniemi.
“Obviously we want to string some wins together here,” Ducks forward Sam Carrick said. “It’s not good enough. It’s frustrating. We’re all in this together. The only way we’re going to get out of it is together. You can’t really feel sorry for yourself. This league is too relentless.”
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins pointed out that there was too much individual play as the game went along.
“That’s the one thing we really haven’t seen a whole lot of – guys trying to do everything on their own,” he said. “We’ll address it. Take a couple of things we did well. There will be a lot of reminders on what works for us. And what doesn’t. We were trying a whole lot of stuff that does not work in this league tonight.”
The Ducks (7-18-3) lost to a goaltender who was making his first career start – Makiniemi played 24:25 in relief in a 6-5 overtime loss in Vancouver on Wednesday. He didn’t exactly face a ton of work on Friday – 24 shots on goal, and just 14 through two periods, only allowing Trevor Zegras’ goal, a wrist shot from the left circle at 9:37 of the second period. It was the 10th goal of the season for Zegras.
That cut the Sharks’ lead to 4-1. San Jose, which snapped a four-game losing streak, built its 4-0 lead on a first-period goal from left wing Timo Meier and second-period goals by defensemen Scott Harrington and Erik Karlsson and center Nico Sturm.
The goals by Karlsson, on the power play, and Sturm were eight seconds apart.
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz came in on relief for John Gibson in the third period. San Jose’s Nick Bonino scored an empty-netter with 3:42 remaining and Steven Lorentz made it 6-1 just 25 seconds later.
“Gibby was not feeling well,” Eakins said. “It was going south on him and by the end of the second period he just couldn’t stay in there. We’ll have to double-check and see what’s going on with him. But it was total illness.”
Gibson had been sick with a virus during Thanksgiving week. It was unclear if his current illness was related to the earlier issue.
“I’m not a doctor,” Eakins said. “(But) he came in after the second and said, ‘I can’t breathe.’”
Of note, Ducks defenseman John Klingberg, who had missed seven games with a lower-body injury, returned to the lineup and played nearly 21 minutes.
The night featured a special family moment – the first NHL meeting between the Megna brothers – Sharks defenseman and former Duck Jaycob Megna and forward Jayson Megna, who was claimed on waivers from Colorado on Tuesday. Jayson started on a line with Frank Vatrano and center Ryan Strome.
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The brothers had met before in a game at the AHL level, and going back further, in the USHL. Their parents were on hand at Honda Center to see the sons play against one another.
“It was really cool,” Jayson said. “Definitely a dream come true. I always dreamed about doing that, playing in the NHL. Today was the first time we did that against each other so it was pretty special.”
Jaycob was drafted by the Ducks in the seventh round (No. 210) in 2012 and played the first 43 games of his NHL career with the Ducks.
“He (Jayson) has got experience,” Eakins said after Megna’s first practice. “He can certainly skate, kill penalties, and I think he’s a guy that gives us some depth. He can play center. It’s a good depth play. It gives him somebody that’s got experience in the league.
“The Megna family has done a hell of a job, raising those two boys. Jaycob was an incredible captain for us in San Diego and he’s done a great job in San Jose. Jayson comes with the same advertisement – captain, leader and outstanding citizen.”
