Frederik Andersen helps keep the Sharks at bay in Ducks’ 3-2 victory

The bounces still went their way. Their shots continued to avoid the goal posts. The chemistry didn’t dissipate.

The All-Star break was the only thing that threatened the Ducks’ momentum, and they squashed any notions of it with a 3-2 win against San Jose in a terrific game Tuesday at Honda Center.

The win came after five days off, against an equally hot San Jose team that hadn’t lost in regulation since Jan.7. It placed the Ducks back in a playoff spot in the first of three Pacific Division games this week.

“Everyone knew how big a week this is, and this game is the first step,” goalie Frederik Andersen said. “Everyone is excited to be back. I sensed that [Monday] too. It was a good win.”

Goals from budding star Rickard Rakell, defenseman Hampus Lindholm and fourth-line tough guy Ryan Garbutt backed up Andersen’s 30 saves.

Andersen was the logical choice to start as John Gibson rested from the All-Star game. But Andersen proved why the Ducks have perhaps the best 1-2 goalie punch in the league as he helped weather a six-on-four attack by San Jose in the final minutes.

“He’s basically the reason we won,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I thought we were pretty sloppy as a group, and we didn’t play as well as we’ve been playing. When that happens, you need your goalie.”

The Ducks used some unlikely methods to take a 3-1 lead in the second period as Lindholm scored his first career short-handed goal and Garbutt his first goal as a Duck.

Ryan Getzlaf set up Lindholm with a pass from behind the net that Lindholm wristed past the glove side of San Jose goalie Martin Jones.

“He’s the one with the patience there and he kind of finds me,” Lindholm said of Getzlaf. “You have to give him a little credit for that pass.”

Jones later left a huge rebound on Chris Stewart’s shot that Garbutt put in from the right side. Garbutt, acquired in a Jan.21 trade for Jiri Sekac, celebrated the goal with a big fist pump. He changed his jersey number from 28 to his previous 16 before the game because 16 wasn’t immediately available when he joined the team on the road.

Is that what did it?

“Yeah, maybe,” Garbutt said. “It always feels like you’re part of the team after you score a goal like that. For it to turn out to be the game winner, I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”

Rakell highlighted a great opening period with a wicked wrist shot from the right circle that beat Jones on the far side, over his blocker to finish a rush with Patrick Maroon.

It was an entertaining start that saw the Ducks create about a half-dozen quality scoring chances. San Jose had its share too, the biggest denied by Andersen with a big left-pad save on Joel Ward.

The Ducks killed three penalties and have killed 49 of 51 penalties over the past 14 games.

Makeup date

The Ducks will play a makeup game at Washington as their regula- season finale April 10 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, the NHL announced. That gives the Ducks a tough finish with back-to-back games at Colorado and Washington in which they could be playing for a playoff berth or be jostling for position.

Boudreau noted that Washington plays the night before in St. Louis, while Anaheim plays an afternoon game.

“It should be advantage us, but if we need the points, certainly we’ll know what we have to do at that point in time because nobody else will be playing.”

A severe snowstorm forced postponement of the game on Jan.22. The Ducks arrived in Washington the day before and flew out a few hours early on game day to avoid the most dangerous part of the storm.

It was the first postponement in Ducks history.

Etc.

Harry Zolnierczyk was recalled as a spare forward following the suspension last week of Shawn Horcoff.

Follow Curtis Zupke on Twitter @CurtisZupke