Ducks Edge Closer to Playoffs Despite Loss to Sharks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks will conclude a five-game homestand tonight by hosting the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.

Entering the final game of the homestand, the Ducks hold a record of 2-2-0 following a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night. Anaheim tied the game in the third period with a power-play goal from Sam Colangelo, but the Maple Leafs regained the lead less than nine minutes later and maintained it until the final buzzer.

Head coach Greg Cronin reflected on the match, saying, “We had our chances. It was one of those games going either way… Their fourth line goes out and scores the winning goal on a wrist shot from the wall. We just lost coverage at the net-front.”

Sunday’s loss dropped Anaheim to 32-33-8, putting them 15 points behind a playoff spot with only nine games remaining. Although not yet mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, the Ducks are currently on track for a significant 21-point rise in the overall standings, the second largest in the NHL this season.

“I’ve been up-and-down throughout the whole year and I think each time I come back up [from AHL San Diego], it seems like the team has gotten better and better,” Colangelo noted. “But the little details, like face-offs, end up being a big part of games like this.”

Despite the setback, the Ducks’ young players are driving the team’s offense. Defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who recently recorded his 29th assist of the season, has had a breakout last three months, ranking among the top defensemen in scoring since the beginning of the year.

LaCombe is currently tied for eighth among all NHL defensemen in points and fifth in even-strength scoring. Meanwhile, rookie Leo Carlsson reached the 20-goal and 40-point milestones for the first time in his career on Sunday and became the youngest player in Ducks history to score 20 goals in a season.

The Ducks now turn their attention to the Sharks, who are also in a rebuilding phase, looking to develop their young talent. The Sharks, currently sitting at a league-low record of 20-44-9, have been officially eliminated from playoff contention and aim to bounce back from recent losses to the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

“A little bit of it is our D-core has changed quite a bit, so there’s some miscommunication,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said after the loss to the Kings. “That’s something that I got to do a better job of, getting our guys on the same page.”

This matchup marks an opportunity for Anaheim to secure its first season sweep ever over San Jose, having already won two previous meetings this season.