Ducks pull away for opening win over Sharks

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[October 04, 2018]    Brandon Montour, Adam Henrique and Carter Rowney scored third-period goals, and John Gibson made 31 saves to lead the visiting Anaheim Ducks to a 5-2 victory over San Jose in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night.

Ducks left wing Max Comtois (53) celebrates after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The result spoiled the Sharks debut of defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Rickard Rakell scored a goal and had two assists, and rookie left winger Max Comtois also scored a goal for Anaheim, which won despite being outshot 33-15. Jakob Silfverberg finished with three assists, and Ryan Getzlaf added two assists for the Ducks. Henrique also had two points.

Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl each scored goals for San Jose. Martin Jones stopped just 10 of the 14 shots he faced.

Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner obtained in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 13, was paired with Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He played 26:48 and attempted one shot to go along with one hit and two blocks.

Anaheim, swept by the Sharks in four games in the first round of last season's Western Conference playoffs, needed just 49 seconds to take a 1-0 lead.

The 19-year-old Comtois, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, scored on the first shot of his NHL career after Henrique poke-checked the puck from center ice to him at the blue line near the right boards. Comtois then came in on a breakaway and fired a left wrist shot through Jones' pads.

It was the sixth-fastest goal to open an NHL career in modern-era history and the fastest since Oct. 5, 1989, when Alexander Mogilny scored 20 seconds into his first game.

Kane tied it seven minutes later when he picked up the puck along the left boards and made a nifty move, sliding the puck through the legs of defenseman Josh Manson before firing a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot through Gibson's pads.

San Jose took a 2-1 lead at the 17:14 mark of the second period on a short-handed goal by Hertl. He stole the puck at center ice, spun around and slid the puck through the legs of Cam Fowler and then beat Gibson with a wrist shot past his glove side.

Anaheim came right back to tie it 46 seconds later on a power-play goal by Rakell, who roofed a crossing pass through the crease from Silfverberg into the left side of the goal.

Montour then scored what proved to be the game-winner at the 8:02 mark of the third period. His fluttering backhander from the left side of the net went over the blocker of Jones and under the crossbar.

Henrique doubled the lead two minutes later, and Rowney added an empty-net goal in the last minute.

--Field Level Media

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