Sharks defeat Ducks in overtime

SAN JOSE --Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored on a breakaway at 1:24 of overtime to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks at SAP Center on Tuesday.
Vlasic tracked down the puck in the neutral zone and beat goaltender John Gibson with a shot over his outstretched right pad for his first goal of the season.

"It was a big goal for us," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "He put his head down, took it to the net. We found a way. That's a tough game to be 1-1 in overtime after carrying a lot of the play. It could be disheartening, but our group found a way to stick with it. It's a big two points."
Forward Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks and had the lone assist on Vlasic's goal.
The Sharks (4-3-0) ended their two-game skid and a three-game losing streak to the Ducks.
Chris Wagner scored for the Ducks (2-3-2).
Anaheim goaltender Jonathan Bernier made his second start of the season but left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. Bernier allowed one goal on 11 shots in the first period before being replaced by Gibson at the beginning of the second.
"He pulled a muscle in the first period," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said of Bernier.

Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf left the game after the second period with an upper-body injury. He came off the ice in the second after he appeared to get hit by a puck in the forearm.
Carlyle said Getzlaf will be re-examined Wednesday.
"It was best for the player to be out of game," he said. ""He was not able to compete at a level we needed."
Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 19 saves, and Gibson had 24.
Pavelski gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead on the power play at 7:58 of the first period, knocking a rebound past Bernier for his third goal of the season. Patrick Marleau and Joonas Donskoi had the assists.
Wagner scored his second goal of the season with 2:11 left in the second period on a rebound to tie it 1-1. Defenseman Clayton Stoner and forward Antoine Vermette got the assists.

Goal of the game

Vlasic is best known for his shutdown defense, but he used his offensive skills to score the game-winner. He got the puck near the right boards, and then turned on the speed. He cut across the ice and beat Gibson with a forehand while Ducks forward Corey Perry dove in an attempt to disrupt the breakaway with his stick. Vlasic scored while falling to the ice. "Put my head down, breakaway, cutting across and I was able to put it in," Vlasic said. "I saw [Perry] there. That's why I stuck my foot out, to block his stick. Worked out."

Save of the game

With the Sharks leading 1-0 and the Ducks on a 5-on-3 power play midway through the first period, Jones made a glove save on Anaheim defenseman Sami Vatanen's shot from the right faceoff circle to preserve the lead.

Unsung moment of the game

The Ducks were getting shut out late in the second period when Wagner scored to make it 1-1. He went to the low slot, tipped a shot, and then scored on his own rebound. It was the Ducks' only goal, but it was all they needed to earn a point.

Highlight of the game

Pavelski scores most of his goals from close range, either on tips or rebounds, and his first-period goal was no exception. Bernier stopped Marleau's shot from the slot, but Pavelski had position to the left of the crease, and he put the rebound past a sprawling Bernier.

They said it

"You have the 15 minutes, so I got mentally ready to play and loosened up the best I could." -- Ducks goalie John Gibson on entering the game to begin the second period after starter Jonathan Bernier was injured in the first
"I liked our game. I liked the four lines. I liked our 5-on-5 game. I thought we should have had more than one goal, but credit to them and [Ducks goaltender John Gibson]. I thought he made some big saves. It was a nice response game after the Detroit game." -- Sharks coach Peter DeBoer, who shuffled all four of his lines after a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday

Need to know

Entering the game, Anaheim ranked first in the NHL with a faceoff winning percentage of 59.8, and San Jose was last at 42.9. The Ducks won 61 percent of the faceoffs to 39 percent for the Sharks. ... Former Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle, who announced his retirement from the NHL in San Jose on Oct. 5, was honored during a pregame ceremony.

What's next

Ducks: Home against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET; PRIME, FS-TN, NHL.TV)
Sharks: Home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; CSN-CA, FS-O, NHL.TV)