ANAHEIM, CA – The Anaheim Ducks mounted a furious comeback, scoring seven unanswered goals to defeat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 in overtime on Saturday night. Leo Carlsson led the charge wiht a goal and three assists, sparking the Ducks’ rally after falling behind early.
The Sharks appeared poised for their first win of the season, but a late-game collapse and Carlsson’s standout performance shifted the momentum dramatically. Anaheim’s victory underscores their resilience and Carlsson’s growing impact as a key offensive player. The Ducks (1-0-2) avoided a third straight game going to overtime, while the Sharks fell to 0-2-2.
Tyler Toffoli put San Jose ahead 1-0 at 3:40 of the first period, capitalizing on a delayed penalty with a one-timer off a saucer pass from Will Smith. Ryan reaves extended the Sharks’ led to 2-0 at 11:12, beating the goaltender with a shot by the glove. Just 41 seconds later, Gauthier cut the deficit to 2-1, scoring on a wrist shot after a fortunate bounce off a clearing attempt.
Adam Gaudette tied the game at 2-2 with a goal assisted by Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Jeff Skinner then gave the Sharks a 3-2 advantage. However,the Ducks began their comeback,fueled by Carlsson’s playmaking ability. He assisted on goals by teammates to tie the game and then take a 4-3 lead.
“Our winning habits are not good,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Our whole game wasn’t great,let’s be honest. So, we got to keep working with these young guys and our team here to have an understanding of what that looks like.”
The Ducks continued to pour on the offense, adding two more goals to extend their lead to 6-3. The Sharks managed to score one late goal, but Anaheim sealed the victory with a goal in overtime, completing the remarkable turnaround.
“We jell pretty well in practice once we started playing together,” Gauthier said. “We are always connected. It feels like there are guys all around the ice.”
