Ducks Make Points With Overtime Win

Sandis Ozolinsh didn’t want credit for the goal. Samuel Pahlsson didn’t really want it either.

It didn’t matter to the Mighty Ducks who was given credit in pulling out a 5-4 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks in a game they needed Tuesday night at the Arrowhead Pond.

Ozolinsh was awarded the goal and simply shrugged his shoulders as he celebrated with Pahlsson and the rest of the Ducks on the ice, pushing them closer to the Edmonton Oilers in the race for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.

The two points helped them pull to within three of the eighth-place Oilers and pushed the Sharks eight back in dealing a damaging blow to their playoff hopes.

“We needed them pretty bad,” Pahlsson said of the points, “or we would have lost ground in the race.”

The puck crossed the line 58 seconds into overtime, after the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau tried to clear it in front of San Jose goaltender Evgeni Nabokov under pressure by Pahlsson and Ozolinsh.

“I shot it and it hit the goalie’s stomach and came out for a rebound,” Ozolinsh said. “The puck just came out and their guy shot it in his net.... It was a lucky break for us but we’ll take it.”

Pahlsson said he managed to whack at Marleau’s stick, “but I didn’t touch the puck,” he said.

Marleau was astonished as he dropped his head after the play.

“I can’t believe it went right in the net,” he said. “I don’t know what to say. I thought I was going to pick it up and go behind the net. I went to make a move and all of a sudden it went straight in.”

It became Ozolinsh’s third goal of the season and second game-winner in four games after a stay in the league’s substance abuse program. More important, the Ducks managed to squeeze out five points in a four-game homestand that appeared ready for a disappointing finish.

The victory was critical as they begin a stretch of eight games on the road in their next 11, beginning with Saturday’s game at Phoenix.

“We’ve got 21 games left,” Duck Coach Randy Carlyle said. “That’s 42 points up for grabs and we’ve got to grab the lion’s share of those.”

The ending was fitting in what was a sloppy effort at times for the Ducks. The defense was shoddy in front of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and the Sharks put 48 shots on goal, the most by an opposing team this season.

Giguere didn’t help his cause when he allowed unheralded Steve Bernier to tie the score a minute after rookie forward Corey Perry had given the Ducks the lead on a power play. But the 44 saves Giguere made were a season high.

“In all reality, we’ve got to give him credit for the win,” Carlyle said. “We gave up a lot of quality chances and we have to correct that for sure.”

The Ducks’ listless play at the start of their games after the Olympic break had become a concern but they had a solid first period Tuesday, topped off by Joffrey Lupul’s 22nd goal at the 10:01 mark. But they couldn’t keep San Jose from doing damage in the second. They were hit by a one-two punch from Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo, but the Ducks responded with a combination from Andy McDonald, who scored consecutive goals to give the Ducks a 3-2 lead.

“We needed to get back to where we were before the break,” McDonald said. “We need the points. We can’t afford to take any more games off.”