Ducks 5, Sharks 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks won their 12th consecutive home game Monday night, beating the San Jose Sharks 5-3.
The latest win broke the franchise record for consecutive home victories, set during the 2009-2010 season, but it wasn't the usual cast of players that helped lead the way to the mark.
Anaheim's first three goals Monday came from defenseman Francois Beauchemin and forwards Peter Holland and Emerson Etem, a trio that had a combined total of three goals coming into the game. Beauchemin added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The goals by Holland and Etem came within 34 seconds of one another in the middle of the second period. Etem collected the first goal of his NHL career, and he later recorded his sixth assist of the season.
Even when the usual goal-scorers for the Ducks got involved, it wasn't under typical circumstances.
Two minutes and 12 seconds after Etem's goal, Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf pushed the lead to 4-1 with his team-high 11th goal of the season. It came when the Ducks were short-handed.
Getzlaf extended his home points streak to a career-high 11 games.
The Sharks remained in the game with goals in the final minute of both the first and second periods.
At 19:02 in the first, San Jose defenseman Jason Demers scored his first goal of the season tie the game 1-1. On the play, a group of Sharks and Ducks screened the vision of Ducks goalie Viktor Fasth. It was also his first point of the season.
With 29 seconds left in the second period, San Jose's leading scorer, Patrick Marleau, collected his 15th on the season to slice the Sharks' deficit to 4-2.
The Sharks drew within 4-3 at the 6:48 mark in the third period when defenseman Matt Irwin knocked the puck in the net off another player. However, Beauchemin's second goal of the game sealed the outcome.
Fasth made 32 saves to earn the win. San Jose goalie Antti Niemi stopped 23 shots.
NOTES: The Ducks took sole possession of the longest active consecutive point streak in the league, one game ahead of the idle Columbus Blue Jackets, by earning a point in their 11th consecutive game. ... With an assist on Beauchemin first-period goal, newly acquired Ducks forward David Steckel earned his first point with the team since his trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 15. ... Ducks forward Saku Koivu didn't collect a point, leaving him two points shy of 800 in his career. He will look to reach the milestone Wednesday when the Ducks play host to the Chicago Blackhawks. ... San Jose travels to Edmonton to play the Oilers on Wednesday. ... The Sharks and Ducks meet again March 25 at the end of Anaheim's current five-game homestand. The last meeting of the season between the teams will follow on March 27 in San Jose.