Recap: Ducks Season Ends in 2-1 Loss to Sharks in Game 4

SAN JOSE -- They emptied their tanks and gave it everything they had. Nothing was left on the table.
But in the end, the Ducks came up agonizingly short. With a 2-1 loss tonight in Game 4 of their First Round series against the San Jose Sharks, the Ducks were eliminated from the postseason. It was a somber end to a season that saw the Ducks pull off an incredible second half run to get them into playoff contention in the first place.

It has been nearly 19 years since the Ducks were last swept in the playoffs - a span of 25 series. No one, Francois Beauchemin says, expected this to happen.
"We played so good down the stretch," said Beauchemin, who made it known going into this season that it would be his last. "I really thought we had a good chance. We had a group of guys - a good mix of veterans and younger guys - I really thought we could do it. That's really disappointing. I don't think anybody saw that coming. We played so well the last 15-20 games of the regular season. It felt like we didn't really have the push during the series."
It was just the second time these clubs met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first installment taking place in 2009 when the Ducks came out victorious. This time, however, the Sharks are the ones moving on, and they will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
When the final horn sounded tonight, the Ducks and Sharks eventually met at center ice, with Andrew Cogliano leading his team's handshake procession. The veteran left wing, known for his honest, thoughtout answers, called this a "wakeup call" for the team.
"At the end of the day, we had some good moments and probably should've won tonight, but overall we weren't good enough," said Cogliano, who scored the lone goal in the game. "To be swept is a wakeup call for this team for sure. We probably did enough to win, but at the end of the day, the reason why they're moving on is they get the next goal and continue playing their game.
"You have to give them credit," added Cogliano. "A lot of teams might have sat back at that point, and we could've came on, but they got the next goal. That was the difference."
The goal he is referencing was Tomas Hertl's go-ahead (and eventual game-winning goal) scored minutes after the Ducks clawed their way back.
Scoring from start to finish was an issue, with the Ducks only mustering four goals in the series. Turnovers - uncharacteristic of a Ducks team that locked it down defensively during the regular season - resulted in multiple Sharks goals. In addition, Sharks goaltender Martin Jones took his game to another level, especially in tonight's series-clinching victory.
"You have to give a lot of credit to him," said Corey Perry, who did not register a point in the series. "He made some big saves on me in tight and on the power play. Those are frustrating. As a guy like me where that's my area, that's where I make a living."
Cogliano's game-tying goal early in the third period gave the team life after it had a goal taken away earlier on an offside play that was successfully challenged by the Sharks. John Gibson had arguably his best game of the series.
"It's too bad we didn't give Gibby a chance throughout the series," said Cogliano. "He's played great all year and a big reason why we're even here. It seemed like throughout the series we didn't even give him a chance. "
For the third time in four games, the Sharks struck first. After hemming Anaheim's top line inside the zone, the Sharks were able to win battles and eventually come up with a rebound, which Marcus Sorensen buried for his third goal of the series. Sorensen, a fourth liner with the Sharks, had five goals in 32 regular-season games.
The score held through the second period despite four power-play opportunities, three of which going to the Ducks. Anaheim's best chance came at the doorstep when Perry had a glorious chance on the backhand with 25 seconds left in the period. After spinning with the puck, he sent a backhander that Jones was able to stop with a sprawling right pad save. Then, with the clock hitting zero, Ryan Getzlaf's shot from the left post beat Jones. Upon further review, the clock had expired just before his shot crossed the stripe.
With time still left on an abbreviated power play to behind the third period, the Ducks thought they tied the game with Rickard Rakell burying a one-timer from the left dot. But upon further review, the entry into the zone was deemed offside after the Sharks challenged.
Unfazed, the Ducks pressed on. After gaining entry into the zone and getting the puck down low, Ryan Kesler found Cogliano on the doorstep at the 7:53 mark of the third period. Cogliano hammered the pass on net and his shot snuck past Jones to tie the game at one goal apiece. It marked his first goal of the series and eighth of his postseason career.

But the 1-1 score was short lived. Less than two minutes later, the Sharks regained the lead when Hertl got a piece of Marc-Edouard Vlasic's point shot after the Ducks failed the clear the zone on multiple attempts.
The Ducks put together one last push in the final minute with the net empty at the other end, but could not find the equalizer.
After making it all the way to the Western Conference Final last year, this extended offseason will not sit well with the Ducks, says Getzlaf. "Every time we get into the playoffs, we have a feeling we can win," he said. "It's a very disappointing result. It won't sit well over the summer."