ANAHEIM — One step forward, two steps backward.
That, essentially, is one way to summarize the state of the Ducks after 28 games. They’ve only managed to win consecutive games once this season, though they were coming off an inspiring victory in overtime against Carolina.
But Friday night did not yield their second set of back-to-back wins. Instead, they skated off with their seventh loss in eight games, a 6-1 defeat to the visiting San Jose Sharks and their rookie goaltender Eetu Makiniemi.
“Obviously we want to string some wins together here,” Ducks forward Sam Carrick said. “It’s not good enough. It’s frustrating. We’re all in this together. The only way we’re going to get out of it is together. You can’t really feel sorry for yourself. This league is too relentless.”
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins pointed out that there was too much individual play as the game went along.
“That’s the one thing we really haven’t seen a whole lot of – guys trying to do everything on their own,” he said. “We’ll address it. Take a couple of things we did well. There will be a lot of reminders on what works for us. And what doesn’t. We were trying a whole lot of stuff that does not work in this league tonight.”
The Ducks (7-18-3) lost to a goaltender who was making his first career start – Makiniemi played 24:25 in relief in a 6-5 overtime loss in Vancouver on Wednesday. He didn’t exactly face a ton of work on Friday – 24 shots on goal, and just 14 through two periods, only allowing Trevor Zegras’ goal, a wrist shot from the left circle at 9:37 of the second period. It was the 10th goal of the season for Zegras.
That cut the Sharks’ lead to 4-1. San Jose, which snapped a four-game losing streak, built its 4-0 lead on a first-period goal from left wing Timo Meier and second-period goals by defensemen Scott Harrington and Erik Karlsson and center Nico Sturm.
The goals by Karlsson, on the power play, and Sturm were eight seconds apart.
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz came in on relief for John Gibson in the third period. San Jose’s Nick Bonino scored an empty-netter with 3:42 remaining and Steven Lorentz made it 6-1 just 25 seconds later.
“Gibby was not feeling well,” Eakins said. “It was going south on him and by the end of the second period he just couldn’t stay in there. We’ll have to double-check and see what’s going on with him. But it was total illness.”
Gibson had been sick with a virus during Thanksgiving week. It was unclear if his current illness was related to the earlier issue.
“I’m not a doctor,” Eakins said. “(But) he came in after the second and said, ‘I can’t breathe.’”
Of note, Ducks defenseman John Klingberg, who had missed seven games with a lower-body injury, returned to the lineup and played nearly 21 minutes.
The night featured a special family moment – the first NHL meeting between the Megna brothers – Sharks defenseman and former Duck Jaycob Megna and forward Jayson Megna, who was claimed on waivers from Colorado on Tuesday. Jayson started on a line with Frank Vatrano and center Ryan Strome.
The brothers had met before in a game at the AHL level, and going back further, in the USHL. Their parents were on hand at Honda Center to see the sons play against one another.
“It was really cool,” Jayson said. “Definitely a dream come true. I always dreamed about doing that, playing in the NHL. Today was the first time we did that against each other so it was pretty special.”
Jaycob was drafted by the Ducks in the seventh round (No. 210) in 2012 and played the first 43 games of his NHL career with the Ducks.
“He (Jayson) has got experience,” Eakins said after Megna’s first practice. “He can certainly skate, kill penalties, and I think he’s a guy that gives us some depth. He can play center. It’s a good depth play. It gives him somebody that’s got experience in the league.
“The Megna family has done a hell of a job, raising those two boys. Jaycob was an incredible captain for us in San Diego and he’s done a great job in San Jose. Jayson comes with the same advertisement – captain, leader and outstanding citizen.”
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