The Ducks’ Rickard Rakell scores the decisive goal over the head of San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer in the third round of the shootout in their 4-3 victory on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz reacts after the San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns scores a goal during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Nicolas Deslauriers, left, fights with the San Jose Sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Nicolas Deslauriers, left, fights with the San Jose Sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ducks left wing Nicolas Deslauriers, left, and San Jose Sharks left wing Jonah Gadjovich fight during the first period on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
The San Jose Sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich and the Ducks’ Nicolas Deslauriers fight during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
A referee pulls the Ducks’ bloodied Nicolas Deslauriers away after he fought with the San Jose Sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz slides to his left to block a shot by the San Jose Sharks’ Noah Gregor during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Cam Fowler, left, and Nicolas Deslauriers, center, celebrate after Derek Grant, right, scored a goal against the Sharks during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Jose Sharks left wing Alexander Barabanov (94) loses his balance in front of Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz, center, and the Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk during the first period on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks center Isac Lundestrom crashes into the boards during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz cannot stop a goal by San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture during the first period on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
The Ducks’ Derek Grant (38) scores a goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry, center, skates with the puck as Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks defends during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer defends the goal against the Ducks during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns skates with the puck during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Trevor Zegras skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Derek Grant celebrates a goal in front of Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns skates with the puck against the Ducks during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk reaches for the puck during the first period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The puck gets past Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz for a San Jose Sharks goal during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks celebrate after Rickard Rakell (67) scored his second goal during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm skates with the puck as the San Jose Sharks’ Alexander Barabanov defends during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Alexander Barabanov skates with the puck as the Ducks’ Jamie Drysdale gives chase during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz makes a save in front of the San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier, left, congratulates Logan Couture on his goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
The San Jose Sharks’ Andrew Cogliano skates with the puck as the Ducks’ Josh Mahura defends during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks center Sam Carrick, left, and San Jose Sharks left wing Alexander Barabanov vie for the puck during the second period on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
The San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture, right, celebrates a goal during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Cam Fowler skates with the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell, left, is congratulated by Jamie Drysdale after scoring a goal during the second period of their game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at the Honda Center. Rakell scored two goals in regulation and added the decisive shot in the shootout portion of their 4-3 victory. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
A Ducks fan shows his support during a game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Adam Henrique skates with the puck as the San Jose Sharks’ Jacob Middleton pursues during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks’ Nick Bonino skates with the puck against the Ducks during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer makes a save during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ducks right wing Troy Terry has a shot blocked by San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer during the shootout portion of their game on Tuesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks won, 4-3. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz blocks a shot by San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture during the shootout portion of their game on Tuesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks won, 4-3. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell skates past San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer after scoring the winning goal in the third round of the shootout in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
The Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk, left, rushes out to celebrate after Rickard Rakell, right, scored the decisive goal in the third round of a shootout in their 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Ducks celebrate after Rickard Rakell, right, scored the decisive goal in the third round of a shootout in their 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell, right, is congratulated after he scored the decisive goal in the third round of a shootout in their 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell skates past hats thrown to the ice after he scored the decisive goal in the third round of a shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. Rakell had two goals in regulation in the 4-3 win. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
Ducks center Trevor Zegras (46) congratulates Rickard Rakell after he scored the game-winning goal in their 4-3 shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
ANAHEIM — The chatter started weeks and maybe even months ago. The Ducks have several significant potential unrestricted free agents. Will they trade them before the March 21 deadline? Will they sign them to new contracts? Will they let the team’s position in the standings dictate their moves?
General Manager Pat Verbeek said days after he was hired on Feb. 3 to replace Bob Murray that he would not let Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell become walkaway free agents at season’s end. Verbeek also said he would spend the rest of the month evaluating his new team.
Rakell’s stock, which has been on the rise lately, soared even higher on Tuesday night, when he scored two goals in the Ducks’ 4-3 shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center. Rakell’s 13th and 14th goals of the season also were his fifth and sixth in the past seven games and his second and third in two games.
Rakell scored in the shootout, too, converting on a slick move in the third round.
Or so it appeared to the 13,288 fans at Honda Center.
In fact, Rakell was not confident as he staked toward James’ Reimer’s net.
“The ice was so bad I thought I was going to fall,” Rakell said.
After a series of moves, Rakell faked a shot and then lifted the puck over a fallen Reimer. The fans roared and Rakell’s teammates jumped from their bench to celebrate with him after the Ducks secured their second consecutive victory after an 0-3-1 slump had knocked them from a playoff position.
The first of Rakell’s two goals ricocheted into the net off his skate.
The second was a laser past Reimer’s glove after a deft move into the slot.
“I guess,” Rakell said when asked if he was “feeling it.”
“I feel like I’m in the right spots, but a lot of hard work has gone into it, too,” he said. “I’m trying to get in the scoring area in front of the net. There haven’t been a lot of pretty goals. I went back and looked at some videos to see where I scored a lot of goals and it’s been a lot of those (ugly ones).
“It’s just me figuring out what my game is and just trying to do the best I can.”
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said he wasn’t familiar with the phrase when asked after the game whether Rakell was “on a heater.” Eakins did get the gist of the question, though. He agreed that Rakell was on a hot streak and that it was just what the Ducks needed as they opened a six-game homestand.
“He was feeling it,” Eakins said. “You could see it early, too. You just knew he was going to have a good one. I was glad he kept with it. After he got that first one, he kept shooting the puck. He was really on his game, really engaged and very focused. A guy like ‘Raks,’ he just takes so much pride in his game and takes a lot of pride in being able to add offensively. Not only to score on five-on-five but to finish it like that in a shootout, that’s a great night for that young man.”
Rakell sandwiched second-period goals around Logan Couture’s second of the game, tying the score 2-2 at the seven-minute mark and then 3-3 at 16:09 of the period. Rookie center Trevor Zegras set up Rakell’s first goal for his 26th assist of the season, extending his team lead.
Derek Grant also scored for the Ducks in regulation, and Anthony Stolarz made 40 saves while filling in for starter John Gibson, including seven during overtime. The Ducks killed off a holding penalty to right wing Jakob Silfverberg in OT, eventually sending the game to a shootout.
Zegras led off the shootout with a goal, whipping a shot past Reimer’s left shoulder and into the top corner of the net. Stolarz then denied Couture. Reimer stopped Troy Terry’s attempt and then San Jose’s Tomas Hertl missed the mark, setting the stage for Rakell’s clinching goal.
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“I’d rather face the penalty shot one-on-one,” Stolarz said of playing short-handed in OT. “But the guys did a great job on that penalty kill keeping them outside. They (the Sharks) had a couple of chances coming across and they (the Ducks) were getting their sticks on pucks and really helping me out there.”
Tuesday’s game was the last of five rescheduled games for the Ducks after a COVID-19 outbreak around the league wreaked havoc with the schedule. The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 27. The teams will play three additional times over the final 29 games of the regular season.
GUHLE RECALLED
The Ducks recalled defenseman Brendan Guhle from the San Diego Gulls and assigned defenseman Greg Pateryn to their AHL team. Guhle has two goals and three assists in 28 games with the Gulls after he didn’t make the cut to start the season. He also was scoreless in two games with the Ducks.
