San Jose's 20 giveaways and 3.00 goals-above-average goaltending deficit handed Anaheim the fuel for a systematic 6-1 execution that was never in doubt after the first period.
Anaheim's structural dominance — a 57.8% faceoff rate, 30-shot volume, and a power play converting at 50% — made this a systematic dismantling rather than a result. The Ducks controlled every leverage point that determines NHL outcomes, and San Jose's 20 giveaways ensured they never stabilized long enough to threaten it.
⚡TURNING POINT
Carlson's second power-play goal at 14:03 of the third pushed the margin to 5-1 with under six minutes remaining, mathematically closing any San Jose path to relevance. The goal landed on an already-penalized Sharks team with no power-play threat of its own, converting SJS's 8 PIMs into a structural execution.
🏆WHY ANA WON
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Special teams created the decisive separation: Anaheim converted 2-of-4 power plays at 50%, while San Jose went 0-for-1 and gifted 8 penalty minutes that directly produced two Carlson goals.
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Faceoff dominance at 57.8% gave Anaheim repeated zone-entry advantages, underpinning their 30-shot output against San Jose's 19.
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San Jose's 20 giveaways generated the turnovers Anaheim needed to build clean transitions and sustain offensive-zone time throughout.
📉WHY SJS LOST
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Askarov conceded 3.00 goals above league-average on 30 shots — in a five-goal game decided by margin, that gap was insurmountable.
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Twenty giveaways against a structured Anaheim team is a self-inflicted wound; San Jose handed the Ducks the possession that built this lead.
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The Sharks generated just 19 shots and won only 42.2% of faceoffs, meaning they could neither create offense nor suppress Anaheim's.
Three Stars
John Carlson1st
ANA, D
3G 0A3 points2 power-play goals20:16 TOI
His hat trick — including both man-advantage finishes — personally accounted for half of Anaheim's goals and converted San Jose's penalty trouble directly into scoreboard separation.
Leo Carlsson2nd
ANA, C
1G 0A4 shots on goal15:44 TOI
His goal 2:59 into the first set the tone immediately, and his shot volume reflected sustained offensive presence throughout.
Beckett Sennecke3rd
ANA, R
0G 2A2 points+216:08 TOI
Both assists connected directly to Anaheim's special-teams structure, making him the facilitator behind two of the game's most consequential sequences.
