Jonas Hiller shines as the Anaheim Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks in overtime
Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller kept his team in the game as the Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks in overtime on Tuesday, 9 November.
How it happened
San Jose opened the scoring in the first period just 1:42 into the game when Torrey Mitchell scored his second of the year. Jason Blake helped the Ducks go into the first intermission tied 1-1 when he
tipped in a Toni Lydman point shot past Sharks goalie Antero Niitymaki.
The line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan, which has been hot since the start of the season, then put the Ducks in the lead with the only goal of the second period with Perry finally firing
a backhand over a sprawling Niitymaki after applying a lot of pressure in the Sharks' zone.
Desperate not to lose on home ice, the Sharks came out hard in the third period mustering 22 shots on Hiller. They were rewarded for all their pressure when Devin Setoguchi got his second of the year midway
through the period which was enough to send the game to overtime.
With just over 30 seconds remaining in the extra frame the Ducks got a winner from Lubomir Visnovsky whose point shot eluded Niitymaki.
What they're saying
Hiller was excellent for the Ducks, saving 39 of 41 shots.
"It's always fun to play against San Jose," he said after the game. "It's kind of a rivalry. They have a good team. They're always a lot of shots and a lot of work."
"Hiller was outstanding," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said of his goalie. "The best player on the ice. But that's what it takes to win on the road in these tough buildings."
"We knew Hiller was going to be good," Setoguchi told reporters after the game. "He's always good. Against us, he seems to play his best. We just have to be better. We have to keep making the shots, having
guys go to the net and get second opportunities."
The Ducks are on fire at the moment and have now won four games in a row. They play on back-to-back nights as they prepare to host the New York Islanders on Wednesday 10, November.
The San Jose Sharks, who have won the Pacific Division three years in a row, are in a bit of a slump at the moment and have lost three of their last four. Their next game is also at home against the Islanders,
the night after the Isles face the Ducks.
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